Claims
- 1. A method for optimizing the machining capability of CNC machines, comprising:
operating a CNC machine responsive to a permanently stored machine control database; manually adjusting one or more machine operating functions during machining to manually optimize the machining process, said manually adjusting simultaneously causing recording of adjustment induced changes of the machine operating function of said permanently stored machine control database and resulting in a modified machine control database; and operating the CNC machine under control of said modified machine control database for optimizing machining of like parts.
- 2. A method for CNC machining, comprising:
conducting NC machining of a part with a CNC machine being controlled by a CNC control program representing a primary source of permanently stored data; during machining of the part, introducing manual changes to the machining process by a skilled machinist manipulating manually actuatable controls of the CNC machine to optimize the machining process for the part; responsive to said manual changes to the machining process and in real time concurrently with said NC machining, generating an electronic control program representing a secondary source of permanently stored data reflecting said manual changes; and conducting subsequent machining operations with said CNC machine for optimized machining of like parts, with the CNC machine being controlled by said primary and secondary sources of permanently recorded data acting simultaneously.
- 3. The method for CNC machining of claim 2, comprising:
said step of introducing manual changes to the machining process being accomplished with respect to both timing and function values, ensuring duplication of optimized productivity of the machining process during subsequent machining of like parts.
- 4. A machining control system for controlling machining functions of a CNC Machine, comprising:
a first source of programmed permanently stored machine control data for controlling machining functions during machining; a second source of permanently stored machine control data representing machinist adjustment input during actual machining of a part, for optimizing the machining operation for the part; and said machining functions of the CNC machine being controlled simultaneously by said first and second sources of permanently stored machine control data.
- 5. A method of controlling the various functions of a CNC machine having a control system including a first source of programmed permanently stored machine control data for controlling machining functions during machining of a part and at least a second source of permanently stored machine control data representing machinist adjustment input during actual machining of the part for optimizing machining of the part, said method comprising:
utilizing said first and second sources of programmed permanently stored machine control data simultaneously for optimized machining of like parts.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first and second sources of programmed permanently stored machine control data are each separately and independently developed, said method comprising:
with said first source of permanently stored machine control data, controlling the machining functions of a CNC machine according to programmed instructions; and with said second source of permanently stored machine control data controlling the machining functions of the CNC machine according to function override adjustments made by machine operating personnel during actual machining of a part for optimizing machining of the part.
- 7. A control system for a CNC machine, comprising:
a pre-programmed CNC control establishing a plurality of blocks of NC program instruction data for controlling the machining of a designated part; and machine function adjustment programmed CNC control, programmed during actual machining of the part by machinist actuated adjustment of override adjustments of the CNC machine and establishing a plurality machining function adjustments within respective commanded blocks of NC program information, said machine function adjustment programmed CNC control operating concurrently with said pre-programmed CNC control for automated optimized machining of like parts.
- 8. A method for optimized CNC machining having a programmable CNC control and having machining function override controls, comprising:
programming said CNC control for establishing a plurality of blocks of NC program instruction data having feed-rates and spindle speeds for program controlled machining of a part; establishing by manual adjustment of machining function override controls a plurality of feed-rates and spindle speeds within at least one block of said NC program instruction data; and replaying on command said plurality of feed-rates and spindle speeds within said at least one block of said NC program instruction data for optimized machining of a like part.
- 9. A method for optimizing the feed-rate and spindle speed of a CNC machine having a control computer and a machine control data file and having an event file and further having feed-rate and spindle speed override controls, said method comprising:
operating the CNC machine for machining a part, said operating step being controlled by the machine control data file; during said operating step conducting a computerized analysis of the active block number and feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride controls throughout the machining process; during said operating step, selectively manually actuating the feed-rate over-ride control and/or the spindle speed over-ride control as desired for feed-rate and/or spindle speed optimization and by said computerized analysis establishing actual machining data in the event file including block number, feed-rate and spindle speed and corresponding time values; and utilizing said event file for electronically controlling feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride controls during subsequent machining of like parts .
- 10. The method of claim 9, comprising:
editing the machine control data file with said actual machining data of said event file; and conducting subsequent machining operations under the control of the edited machine control data file.
- 11. The method of claim 9, comprising:
directly controlling said CNC machine with said event file.
- 12. The method of claim 9, wherein said conducting said computerized analysis comprising:
periodically polling the current condition of the feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride controls and recording data representative thereof in said event file.
- 13. The method of claim 9, wherein said conducting said computerized analysis comprising:
polling the current condition of the feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride controls at intervals in the range of from about 50 ms to about 700 ms and writing data representative thereof in said event file.
- 14. The method of claim 9, wherein said writing data representative thereof occurs only in the event a change is detected in the feed-rate or spindle speed.
- 15. The method of claim 9, wherein said conducting said computerized analysis comprising:
with a software program, writing an ASCII output file, being said event file containing records consisting of a block number, associated time value, feed-rate over-ride setting and spindle speed over-ride setting.
- 16. The method of claim 15, comprising:
after completion of each machining cycle naming and closing said ASCII or other pertinent output file; and opening and using said ASCII or other pertinent output file to command said programmable control data file with respect to feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride settings.
- 17. A method for optimizing the feed-rate and spindle speed of a CNC machine having a control computer and a machine control data file and having an event file and further having feed-rate and spindle speed override controls, said method comprising:
operating the CNC machine for machining a part, said operating step being controlled by the machine control data file; during said operating step conducting a computerized analysis of the active block number and feed-rate over-ride control setting and spindle speed over-ride control setting throughout the machining process; during said operating step, selectively manually actuating the feed-rate over-ride control and/or the spindle speed over-ride control as desired for feed-rate and/or spindle speed optimization and writing changes thereof in the event file including block number, feed-rate and spindle speed; and using said event file for commanding said CNC Control feed-rate and spindle speed control functions with respect to feed-rate and spindle speed for the machining of a successive like part.
- 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said conducting said computerized analysis comprising:
periodically polling the current condition of the feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride controls and recording data representative thereof in said event file.
- 19. The method of claim 17, wherein said conducting said computerized analysis comprising:
polling the current condition of the feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride controls at intervals in the range of from about 200 ms to about 700 ms and writing data representative thereof in said event file.
- 20. The method of claim 17, wherein said writing data representative thereof occurs only in the event a change is detected in the feed-rate or spindle speed.
- 21. The method of claim 17, wherein said conducting said computerized analysis comprising:
with a software program, writing an ASCII or any pertinent output file, being said event file containing records consisting of a block number or any method to identify the current block of information being read, associated time value, feed-rate over-ride setting and spindle speed over-ride setting.
- 22. The method of claim 21, comprising:
after completion of each machining cycle naming and closing said ASCII output file; and opening and using said ASCII output file to command said CNC Control with respect to feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride settings.
- 23. A CNC machine configured for performance optimized high production machining operations, comprising:
a machine tool having an adjustable feed-rate control system and an adjustable spindle speed control system; at least one control computer being in assembly with said machine tool and having an event file for controlling the feed-rate and spindle speed of the machine tool; a feed-rate over-ride control and a spindle speed over-ride control permitting selective machine operator controlled manual over-ride of the feed-rate and spindle speed established by said machine control data file; and an event data file being in data receiving communication with said feed-rate over-ride control and an spindle speed over-ride control and being written with data representing changes of feed-rate and/or spindle speed control settings, said event data file being used to control the CNC Control feed-rate and/or Spindle Speed override values or edit said programmable machine control data file with respect to feed-rate and spindle speed over-ride settings.
- 24. A method of machining with a CNC machine having a manually programmable machine control data file for controlling machining functions and an automatically programmable event file and further having machinist adjustable function controls being manually adjustable during machining, said method comprising:
manually programming said machine control data file prior to machining and establishing a machining program; conducting machining operations for machining a part under the control of said machining program of said machine control data file; during machining of the part, manually adjusting the machinist adjustable function controls as desired by the machinist to optimize machining of the part, said manually adjusting automatically programming said event file responsive to manual adjustments made by the machinist; and during subsequent machining of like parts, controlling machining operations with said machine control data file and said event file for machinist adjusted optimized machining thereof.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of the subject matter set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/586,336, filed on Jun. 2, 2000 by William D. Allen and entitled “Dynamic Feed Control Optimization System For CNC Machining, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of the subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/586,336, filed on Mar. 24, 2000 by William D. Allen and also entitled “Dynamic Feed Control Optimization System For CNC Machining, also abandoned.
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09534783 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Child |
10016519 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09586336 |
Jun 2000 |
US |
Child |
09534783 |
Mar 2000 |
US |