Patent ID: 6718854
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: B23Q,G05B,Y10T

Abstract:
A material shaping machine comprising:a frame supporting a workpiece holder and a tool holder, the workpiece holder and the tool holder being movable relative to each other in three axes, one of the three axes being a computer-controlled axis, and two of the three axes being manipulated through other than computer control; a cutting tool mounted in the tool holder, the cutting tool having a cutting edge for shaping a workpieee held in the workpiece holder; sensors for detecting, in real time, position information of the tool holder relative to the workpiece, and for providing the detected position information to a preprogrammed personal computer, the preprogrammed personal computer determining a desired position of the cutting edge along the computer-controlled axis, in accordance with the detected position information, a stored representation of a desired workpiece geometry and a stored representation of the tool geometry; and a controller for receiving the desired position of the cutting edge from the personal computer and using the received desired position to control relative movement between the tool cutting edge and the workpiece only along the computer-controlled axis such that the cutting edge reaches the desired position.