Machine tool

Abstract

A machine tool having movable axes driven by linear motors has a brake unit disposed in parallel with each linear motor. When the linear motors are not excited, the brake units are turned on to lock the movable axes. When the linear motors are excited, if a machining signal is off, indicating that machining is not in progress, and no manual command is issued, the brake units are likewise turned on to lock the movable axes. The brake units have a certain amount of play so that even when locked, a movable axis can move by a certain amount to enable the linear motor, if excited, to halt in a stable position, avoiding overcurrent flow.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purposes and advantages of the present invention, including those described above, will be clarified with reference to the attached drawings in combination with the description of the embodiment presented below. Of these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a wire electric discharge machine to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of section A-A in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing principal parts of a controller that controls the wire electric discharge machine in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing control processing performed by the CPU of the controller in FIG. 3.

Claims

1. A machine tool having a linear motor for driving a movable axis and a brake unit for braking the movable axis, wherein said brake unit operates when the linear motor is excited, machining is not in progress, and the movable axis is stationary because no operation command is issued for the movable axis.

2. The machine tool of claim 1, wherein the brake unit is installed with play so that the movable axis remains movable by a certain amount even when the movable axis is braked.

3. The machine tool of claim 2, wherein the brake unit operates by pushing a friction body against a shaft installed in parallel with the movable axis, the brake unit including end mounts that hold respective ends of the shaft with a certain amount of play.

4. The machine tool of claim 1, wherein the machine tool is a wire electric discharge machine.

5. A machine tool having a movable axis driven by a linear motor, the machine tool comprising: a brake unit for braking the movable axis;a linear motor excitation determination means for determining whether an excitation signal for exciting the linear motor is on or off;a machining execution determination means for determining whether the linear motor is being driven to cause the machine tool to perform machining; anda movable axis stationary state determination means for determining whether or not a feed command is issued for the movable axis of the machine tool,wherein, when the linear motor excitation determination means determines that the excitation signal is off, the brake unit is allowed to operate to lock the movable axis, andwhen the linear motor excitation determination means determines that the excitation signal is on, on the other hand, if the machining execution determination means determines that machining is not currently being performed and if the movable axis stationary state determination means determines that no feed command is issued for the movable axis, the brake unit is also allowed to operate to lock the movable axis.

6. The machine tool of claim 2, wherein the machine tool is a wire electric discharge machine.

7. The machine tool of claim 3, wherein the machine tool is a wire electric discharge machine.