Machine tool and electric discharge machining apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021199424-A1
Application number	US-202117198523-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2021
Priority date	Oct 5, 2018
Publication date	Jul 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A machine tool includes a machining unit for feeding cutting oil to a work surface of a workpiece and machining the work surface, an optical sensor body unit dividing light outputted from a frequency sweep light source for outputting light whose frequency varies periodically into irradiation light with which the workpiece is to be irradiated and reference light, irradiating the workpiece with the irradiation light, detecting a peak frequency of interference light between reflected light which is irradiation light reflected by the workpiece, and the reference light, and measuring the distance from the machine tool to the work surface on the basis of the peak frequency, and a shape calculation unit calculating the shape of the workpiece on the basis of the distance measured by the optical sensor body unit.

First claim

1 . A machine tool including a machining unit for feeding cutting oil to a work surface of a workpiece and machining the work surface, the machine tool comprising:
an optical sensor unit dividing light outputted from a frequency sweep light source for outputting light whose frequency varies periodically into irradiation light with which the workpiece is to be irradiated and reference light, irradiating the workpiece with the irradiation light, detecting a peak frequency of interference light between reflected light which is irradiation light reflected by the workpiece, and the reference light, and measuring a distance from the machine tool to the work surface on a basis of the peak frequency; and a shape calculation unit calculating a shape of the workpiece on a basis of the distance measured by the optical sensor unit.

2 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the interference light contains first interference light which is interference light between reflected light from the work surface of the workpiece and the reference light, and second interference light which is interference light between reflected light from the cutting oil and the reference light, and
the optical sensor unit calculates the distance from the machine tool to the work surface on a basis of a peak frequency of the first interference light and a peak frequency of the second interference light.

3 . The machine tool according to claim 2 , wherein the optical sensor unit distinguishes the peak frequency of the first interference light and the peak frequency of the second interference light on a basis of magnitude of the peak frequency of the first interference light and magnitude of the peak frequency of the second interference light.

4 . The machine tool according to claim 3 , wherein the optical sensor unit measures the distance from the machine tool to the work surface on a basis of both a distance from the machine tool to the cutting oil and a thickness of the cutting oil.

5 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit includes:
a tool holding unit to hold a machining tool for machining the work surface; a head body unit to hold the tool holding unit; and a head drive unit to change a position of the head body unit relatively with respect to a table on which the workpiece is placed, and the shape calculation unit calculates the shape of the workpiece on a basis of both the position of the head body unit, the position being changed by the head drive unit, and the distance measured by the optical sensor unit.

6 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit includes:
a tool holding unit to hold a machining tool for machining the work surface; and a head body unit to hold the tool holding unit, wherein a part of the optical sensor unit is mounted on the head body unit.

7 . The machine tool according to claim 6 , wherein a sensor head unit having a condensing optical element is mounted, as the part of the optical sensor unit, on the head body unit.

8 . The machine tool according to claim 7 , wherein the machine tool comprises a table having a surface on which the workpiece is placed, and
the sensor head unit is mounted on an outer surface facing the surface on which the workpiece is placed, out of multiple outer surfaces which the head body unit has.

9 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit comprises:
a tool holding unit to hold a machining tool for machining the work surface; and a head body unit to hold the tool holding unit, wherein a part of the optical sensor unit is held by the tool holding unit.

10 . The machine tool according to claim 9 , wherein a sensor head unit having a condensing optical element is held, as the part of the optical sensor unit, by the tool holding unit.

11 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit comprises a tool storage unit storing multiple machining tools used for machining the work surface, and
a part of the optical sensor unit is stored in the tool storage unit.

12 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit comprises:
a tool holding unit to hold a machining tool for machining the work surface; and a head body unit to hold the tool holding unit, wherein the optical sensor unit is held by the tool holding unit.

13 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit comprises a tool storage unit storing multiple machining tools used for machining the work surface, and
the optical sensor unit is stored in the tool storage unit.

14 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit comprises:
a tool holding unit to hold a machining tool for machining the work surface; and a head body unit to hold the tool holding unit, wherein a communication cable for outputting information containing the distance measured by the optical sensor unit to an outside is passed through an inside of the head body unit and is led out of the head body unit.

15 . The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the machining unit comprises a cutting oil nozzle feeding the cutting oil to the work surface.

16 . A machine tool including a machining unit for feeding machining oil to a work surface of a workpiece, and machining the work surface, the machine tool comprising:
an optical sensor unit dividing light outputted from a frequency sweep light source for outputting light whose frequency varies periodically within a single frequency band into irradiation light with which the workpiece is to be irradiated and reference light, irradiating the workpiece with the irradiation light, detecting a peak frequency of interference light between reflected light which is irradiation light reflected by the workpiece, and the reference light, and measuring a distance from the machine tool to the work surface on a basis of the peak frequency; and a shape calculation unit calculating a shape of the workpiece on a basis of the distance measured by the optical sensor unit.

17 . An electric discharge machining apparatus including a machining unit for machining a work surface of a workpiece immersed in machining oil, the electric discharge machining apparatus comprising:
an optical sensor unit dividing light outputted from a frequency sweep light source for outputting light whose frequency varies periodically within a single frequency band into irradiation light with which the workpiece is to be irradiated and reference light, irradiating the workpiece with the irradiation light, detecting a peak frequency of interference light between reflected light which is irradiation light reflected by the workpiece, and the reference light, and measuring a distance from the electric discharge machining apparatus to the work surface on a basis of the peak frequency; and a shape calculation unit calculating a shape of the workpiece on a basis of the distance measured by the optical sensor unit.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Goto Hiroki
• Onohara Kiyoshi
• Imaki Masaharu
• Suzuki Naoki
• Yanagisawa Takayuki

Classifications

• G01B11/2441 Primary

  using interferometry · CPC title

• B23H1/00

  Electrical discharge machining, i.e. removing metal with a series of rapidly recurring electrical discharges between an electrode and a workpiece in the presence of a fluid dielectric · CPC title

• B23H11/00

  Auxiliary apparatus or details, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B23H9/006

  Cavity sinking (B23H9/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23H2500/20

  Methods or devices for detecting wire or workpiece position · CPC title