Machine tool certification for part specific working volume

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971337-B2
Application number	US-201314036081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2013
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A method for machining a selected part with a machine tool, comprises obtaining a master part replicating at least a portion of a geometry of a selected part. The master part is loaded in a machine tool. A signature of the machine tool is defined by measuring at least dimensional data of the master part relative to the machine tool, the dimensional data being limited to a selected-part-specific working volume substantially smaller than a complete working volume of the machine tool. The machine tool is certified as being within tolerances to machine the selected part within the working volume, using the dimensional data of the signature. The selected part is machined from a workpiece with the machine tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for machining a selected part with a machine tool having a working volume, the method comprising:
i) obtaining a master part replicating at least a portion of a geometry of a selected part, the master part having a part-specific working volume substantially smaller than the complete working volume of the machine tool, the part-specific working volume being associated to geometrical dimensions of the selected part;
ii) loading the master part in the machine tool;
iii) defining a signature of the machine tool by measuring dimensional data of the part-specific working volume relative to a reference of the machine tool, the signature comprising the dimensional data of the part-specific working volume of the master part in relation to the reference of the machine tool;
iv) certifying that the machine tool is within tolerances to machine the selected part within the working volume of the machine tool, using only the dimensional data of the part-specific working volume of the signature; and
v) machining at least one of the selected part from a workpiece with the machine tool.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising repeating steps i) and ii) for validating the signature after machining numerous ones of the selected part in step v); and machining at least one of the selected part with the machine tool after the validating.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the repeating is performed after one of: a given number of the selected parts machined in step v) is reached; and a given amount of time has lapsed.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the validating comprises updating the signature as a function of variations in the dimensional data between the defining of the signature and the validating of the signature.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein defining the signature of the machine tool comprises defining a working volume that is smaller or equal to the selected part.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein defining the signature comprises adding an orientation of the master part relative to the machine tool.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein defining the signature comprises adding a temperature of an environment of the machine tool.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein defining the signature comprises adding a work log of the machine tool.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising measuring the selected part after the machining, and repeating steps i), ii) and iii) if the selected part is outside tolerances.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein machining a selected part with a machine tool comprises machining the selected part with a numerical control machine tool, and wherein defining the signature comprises measuring the dimensional data relative to a reference coordinate system of the numerical control machine tool.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising performing steps i), ii), iii) and iv) with another master part to machine another selected part.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Blais Mario
• St-Jacques Philippe

Classifications

• G05B2219/37008

  Calibration of measuring system, probe, sensor · CPC title

• G05B19/401 Primary

  characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes (G05B19/19 takes precedence) · CPC title