NON-CONTACT PROFILING METHOD

Abstract: Non-contact profiling is made by tilting the optical axis of a distance measuring probe (PB) capable of measuring optically and non-contactingly by an angle theta from a perpendicular axis and when the distance cannot be measured as the probe reaches a distance measurement disabling point (P1), the movement of the probe (PB) is stopped and the probe is rotated so as to tilt the optical axis by theta in the opposite direction from the vertical direction. Thereafter non-contact profiling is started once again. Whenever the probe reaches the distance measurement disabling point (P2, P3), non-contact profiling is continued by letting the probe (PB) perform the same operation.

Description: Technical Field This invention relates to a contactless profiling method and, more particularly, to a contactless profiling method for performing profiling while tilting a distance measuring probe. Background Art A contactless profiling method is available in which the surface of a model is traced by a probe sensor (a distance measuring probe), such as a laser distance measuring probe, that is capable of measuring distance contactlessly, whereby either profiling machining is performed in accordance with the model or the model surface data are digitized. In general, the distance measuring probe used in such contactless profiling possesses a reference distance L₀, and it is arranged so that the difference between an actual measured distance L and the reference distance L₀ can be outputted as an error Δ L. Fig. 9 is a view for describing contactless profiling. Assume that a model MDL is to be profiled, and that points A, B, C are suitably selected sampling points. When a distance L₁ (= L₀ + Δ L₁) at point A is measured and gives an error of Δ L₁ in comparison with the reference distance L₀, the probe is directed to the next sampling point B while a corrective operation is applied along the measurement axis (along the optic axis) in an amount corresponding to the error. An error quantity Δ L₂ is then obtained at the point B and the probe is directed to point C so as to similarly apply a correction corresponding to this error. By subsequently repeating identical processing, the model surface is traced contactlessly. An optical triangular measurement method, by way of example, is employed in a contactless distance measuring probe. With such a probe, a laser beam emitted by a light-emitting element (semiconductor laser) is projected onto the model surface via a projecting lens, at which a part of the diffusely reflected light beam forms a spot on a position detecting element via a eight-receiving lens. Distance is measured by changing the spot position in dependence upon the distance to the model surface. Accurate measurement of distance cannot be performed unless a sufficient amount of light enters the light-receiving lens. Consequently, there is a limitation upon the range of distances that can be measured accurately by a distance meausuring probe PB. In Fig. 10, a range equivalent to the reference distance L₀ ± ℓ is a measurable range MSR. In addition, the distance measuring probe PB has a limit value in terms of a model surface inclination angle ϑ (see Fig. 11) capable of being accurately measured; distance to a surface having an inclination angle greater than this limit angle cannot be measured with precision. As a result, if the model MDL has a wall (irrespective of whether it is ascending or descending) WAL defining nearly a right angle, as shown in Fig. 12, distance cannot be measured at a corner portion P when the distance measuring probe PB is moved in the manner A → B. The prior art is such that when distance measurement becomes impossible, the probe PB is returned by being moved in the opposite direction, speed is drastically reduced, the probe is again moved in the direction A → B and is then raised and lowered to search for a position at which measurement becomes possible. When this position is found, ordinary contactless profiling is resumed from the position. However, when distance measurement becomes impossible in this prior-art contactless profiling method, a considerable period of time is required for normal contactless profiling to resume. As a result, neither high-speed contactless profiling machining nor digitizing of data by high-speed contactless profiling can be carried out. Another problem with the prior-art method is a large range in which distance cannot be measured, or in other words, a large range in which contactless profiling cannot be performed. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a contactless profiling method in which normal contactless profiling can be resumed in a short period of time if distance measurement becomes impossible, and in which a range wherein profiling is impossible can be reduced. Disclosure of the Invention In the contactless profiling method of the present invention, contactless profiling is performed while tilting an optic axis of a distance measuring probe by an angle ϑ from the vertical direction. If measurement of distance becomes impossible, movement of the distance measuring probe is stopped and the optic axis of the distance measuring probe is tilted from the vertical direction by the angle ϑ in the opposite direction, and contactless profiling is subsequently resumed. In accordance with this contactless profiling method, normal contactless profiling can be resumed in a short period of time even when measurement of distance becomes impossible, and the range in which profiling is impossible can be reduced. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a view for describing the method of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a system according to the present invention; Figs. 3 and 4 are views showing the principle of a probe rotating mechanism; Fig. 5 is a view for describing calculation of profiling direction in contactless profiling; Fig. 6 is a view for describing correction of position data; Fig. 7 is a view for describing correction of present position data after probe rotation; Fig. 8 is a view for describing a range in which profiling cannot be performed; Fig. 9 is a view for describing the general features of contactless profiling; Fig. 10 is a view for describing a distance measuring probe; Fig. 11 is a view for describing a limit value on a model surface inclination angle at which distance measurement is possible; and Fig. 12 is a view for describing the problems of the prior art. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Fig. 1 is a view for describing the general features of the present invention, in which MDL denotes a model having ascending or descending walls WAL 1 ∼ WAL 4, PB represents a distance measuring probe capable of measuring distance contactlessly, and P₁ ∼ P₃ denote points at which distance cannot be measured. Contactless profiling is performed while tilting the optic axis of the distance measuring probe PB by an angle ϑ from the vertical axis. When the point P₁ is reached and measurement of distance becomes impossible, movement of the distance measuring probe PB is halted and the optic axis thereof is tilted from the vertical direction by the angle ϑ in the opposite direction, and contactless profiling is subsequently resumed. Thereafter, when the points P₂, P₃ at which distance measurement is impossible are attained, the distance measuring probe PB is made to perform the same operations so that contactless profiling may continue. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a system for practicing the contactless profiling method of the present invention. Shown are a tracer control apparatus 11, DA converters for DA converting digital axial velocity signals V z , V x generated by the tracer control apparatus, servo-circuits 13Z, 13X for the respective axes, Z- and X-axis drive motors 14Z, 14X, position detecting pulse coders 15Z, 15X for generating detection pulses P z , P x whenever the corresponding motors rotate by a predetermined angle, present-position registers, for the respective axes, for monitoring present positions Z A , X A along the axes by reversibly counting, in dependence upon direction of movement, the pulses generated by the corresponding pulse coders, a distance measuring probe (corresponding to the distance measuring probe PB of Fig. 1) 17 capable of measuring distance to a model surface contactlessly using a laser, and a probe rotation drive unit 18 for rotating the probe 17 by a rotation command RDS from the tracer control apparatus. The tracer control apparatus 11 is computerized, includes a processor (CPU) 11a, a program memory (ROM) 11b and a RAM 11c for storing the results of various processing, and is adapted so as to be capable contactless profiling and digitizing processing. Though the portions relating to the Y axis are deleted from the block diagram of Fig. 2, it goes without saying that components the same as those associated with the other axes are also provided for the Y axis. The distance measuring probe 17 is so adapted that its optic axis can be changed relative to a vertical axis. Let plus be the sign when the optic axis is tilted in the direction of travel from the vertical axis. In such case, contactless profiling is performed initially in a state where -ϑ (e.g., ϑ = 30°) holds (see Fig. 1). Then, whenever distance measurement becomes impossible (at points P₁ - P₃), the inclination of the optic axis is changed in the manner -ϑ → +ϑ or +ϑ → -ϑ. Figs. 3 and 4 are views for describing the principle of the mechanism which changes the inclination of the optic axis, in which Fig. 3 shows that by moving the probe 17 mechanically along a rail RL, the optic axis will be changed between ±ϑ in the direction of travel without altering a measurement point P on the model MDL. Fig. 4 shows that that by rotating the probe 17 180° along a horizontally disposed, circular rail RL', the optic axis will be changed between ±ϑ in the direction of travel without altering the measurement point P on the model MDL. The distance measuring probe 17 checks whether the quantity of detected light is greater than a set value, namely whether correct distance measurement is possible. The arrangement is such that if the detected light quantity is greater than the set value, a high-level distance measurement signal DMS is outputted. The present invention will now be described with regard to a case where digitizing is performed while contactless profiling is carried out. It will be assumed that the optic axis of the distance measuring probe 17 initially is tilted by -ϑ from the vertical axis (see Fig. 1). When contactless profiling starts and measured distance L enters from the probe 17, the processor 11a calculates the error Δ L between reference distance L o and the measured distance L and calculates a normal-direction velocity signal V N and a tangential-direction velocity signal V T in accordance with a Δ L - V N characteristic and a Δ L - V T characteristic. With time from the start of contactless profiling being divided at a predetermined sampling time T s , the processor 11a calculates a profiling direction ϑ n+1 in a current time slot in accordance with ϑ n + (1/n)· Δ ϑ n → ϑ n+1 (1) using the difference Δ ϑ n between the profiling direction ϑ n-1 (see Fig. 5) in a time slot that is two time slots earlier and a profiling direction ϑ n in a time slot that is one time slot earlier, and the profiling direction ϑ n in the time slot that is one earlier (where n is a suitably decided constant, usually 1/2). When the velocity signals V N , V T and profiling direction have been found, the processor generates the velocity signals V x , V z along the respective axes in accordance with the equations V T ·cosϑ n+1 → V x (2) V T ·sinϑ n+1 → V z (3) and applies the profiling velocity signals V x , V z along the respective axes to the motors 14X, 14Z via the DA converters 12X, 12Z and servo-circuits 13X, 13Z, thereby causing the distance measuring probe 17 to move along each of the axes simultaneously to trace the model surface. As a result, the probe 17 is moved in the direction ϑ n+1 calculated by the profiling direction computing unit 11a. In parallel with the foregoing contactless profiling control operation, the processor 11a digitizes the model surface by reading in the present axial position data Z A , X A from the present axis registers 16Z, 16X every predetermined sampling time T s . Since the optic axis is tilted, a correction is necessary because Z A , X A cannot be used as surface data as they are. Fig. 6 is a view for describing the principle of position data correction processing. Letting L represent the measured distance and ϑ the angle of inclination, the coordinates X P , Z P of the measurement point P are given by the equations X P = X A ± L·sinϑ (4) Z P = Z A ± L·cosϑ (5) In Eq. (4), the plus sign is for a case where the optic axis is tilted in the direction opposite that of the direction of travel (the +X direction), and the minus sign is for when the optic axis is tilted in the direction of travel. In parallel with the digitizing processing by contactless profiling, the processor 11a refers to the distance measurement signal DMS to check whether a position has been reached at which distance measurement is impossible. When a point (e.g., P₁, P₂, P₃, etc., in Fig. 1) at which distance measurement is impossible has been reached so that the distance measurement signal DMS assumes a low level, contactless profiling is stopped immediately to halt movement of the probe 17. Thereafter, the processor 11a applies the rotation drive signal RDS to the probe rotation drive unit 18, causing the latter to rotate the probe 17 so that the optic axis thereof is controlled to tilt in the opposite direction by ϑ from the vertical axis (see the probe inclination at points P₁ - P₃ in Fig. 1). If the optic axis is tilted from the vertical axis by ϑ in the forward direction immediately after profiling is halted, the probe is rotated (+ϑ → -ϑ) so as to tilt by ϑ in the direction opposite the direction of travel. If the optic axis is tilted from the vertical axis by ϑ in the direction opposite the direction of travel immediately after profiling is halted, the probe is rotated (-ϑ → +ϑ) so as to tilt by ϑ in the direction of travel. The present position of the probe changes as a result of this rotation. Subsequently, therefore, the present position is corrected in accordance with the following formulae: X A + 2·L·sinϑ → X A (6) Z A → Z A in a case where the probe is rotated in the direction of travel (the +X direction), as indicated by arrow A in Fig. 7(a), and in accordance with the following formulae: X A - 2·L·sinϑ → X A (7) Z A → Z A in a case where the probe is rotated in the direction opposite the direction of travel, as indicated by arrow B in Fig. 7(b). Since distance measurement is made possible by rotating the probe, digitizing processing by contactless profiling is executed thereafter and the probe is rotated in similar fashion whenever distance measurement becomes impossible, thereby enabling contactless profiling to continue. Fig. 8 is a view for describing a range in which contactless profiling cannot be carried out, namely a range in which digitizing cannot be performed, in a case where the probe is stopped at a point where measurement is impossible and the optic axis is subsequently rotated to resume contactless profiling in accordance with the invention. Assume that the feed velocity of the distance measuring probe is V mm/sec, the inclination angle thereof is ϑ, the angle the wall WAL forms with a vertical plane is  and the sampling time is T s (ms). In such case, maximum overshoot Δ L [see Fig. 8(a)] is as follows when the probe is brought to an instantaneous stop at detection of the fact that measurement is impossible: Δ L = T s ·V/1000 mm (8) A vertical distance H from the uppermost point P of the wall WAL to a position Q [see Fig. 8(b)] at which the light beam strikes is as follows: H = Δ L/(tanϑ + tan) (9) For example, if V = 100 mm/sec, T s = 2 msec, ϑ = 30° and  = 0°, then H = 0.2/0.58 = 0.3 mm That is, digitizing of the wall surface will resume from a position about 300 µ lower in the height direction and no precision-related problems will arise. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, contactless profiling is performed while tilting an optic axis of a distance measuring probe by an angle ϑ from the vertical direction. If measurement of distance becomes impossible, movement of the distance measuring probe is stopped and the optic axis of the distance measuring probe is tilted from the vertical direction by the angle ϑ in the opposite direction, and contactless profiling is subsequently resumed. Accordingly, normal contactless profiling can be resumed in a short period of time even when measurement of distance becomes impossible owing to enlarged inclination of the model surface. Moreover, the range in which profiling is impossible can be reduced, so that there is no decline in profiling precision.

Claims: A contactless profiling method for tracing a model surface by means of an optical distance measuring probe (PB) capable of measuring a distance L to the model surface (MDL) contactlessly, characterized by: performing contactless profiling while the optic axis of the optical distance measuring probe is tilted an angle ϑ from the vertical direction; if measurement of distance becomes impossible, stopping movement of the optical distance measuring probe; and then tilting the optic axis of said optical distance measuring probe (PB) from the vertical direction by ϑ in the opposite direction; and subsequently resuming contactless profiling. A contactless profiling method according to claim 1, characterized in that said distance measuring probe (PB) is provided to output a signal, indicating that distance measurement is possible, when a light quantity detected by the optical distance measuring probe is greater than a set value, wherein whether distance measurement is possible/impossible is discriminated based on whether the signal indicating that distance measurement is possible is being outputted. A contactless profiling method according to claim 1, characterized in that when the optic axis of the optical distance measuring probe (PB) is tilted from the vertical direction by ϑ in a direction of, travel or by -ϑ in a direction opposite the direction of travel, coordinates X P , Z P of a measurement point (P) on the model (MDL) are calculated in accordance with the following equations: X P = X A ± L·sinϑ Z P = Z A ± L·cosϑ using coordinates X A , Z A of a present position of the distance measuring probe. A contactless profiling method according to claim 3, characterized in that when the tilt of the optical distance measuring probe (PB) is changed from -ϑ to +ϑ, X A of the coordinates X A , Z A of the present position of said distance measuring probe is updated in accordance with the following formula: X A + 2·L·sinϑ → X A A contactless profiling method according to claim 3, characterized in that when the tilt of the optical distance measuring probe (PB) is changed from +ϑ to -ϑ, X A of the coordinates X A , Z A of the present position of said distance measuring probe is updated in accordance with the following formula: X A - 2·L·sinϑ → X A

Inventors: MATSUURA HITOSHI, MATSUURA, HITOSHI
Applicants: FANUC LTD, FANUC LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B23Q35
IPC codes: B23Q35, G01B11