MODULAR MACHINE TOOL FOR MACHINING BARS, COMPRISING A FRAME WITH FOUR TOOL SUPPORTING UNITS

Abstract: The present invention is for a means for working of elongated objects. These objects can be profiles of wood, plastics or metal, e.g. extruded aluminium profiles. A means comprises sections for feeding in (1) profiles, working (2) and feeding out (4) the worked profiles. Additionally there may be between the working section and the feeding out section a device (3) for cutting of worked profiles to correct length. The means also comprises arrangements for linear movement of the profile through the different sections. A work station position within a working section comprises a frame or similar device which in itself comprises several, preferably four, working units, whereby each working unit may carry one or more working tools (22), e.g. cutting mill or drill, which during the working stages can move with at least three degrees of freedom.

Description: Modular machine tool for machining bars, comprising a frame with four tool supporting units. This invention is for a means for working of elongated objects. These objects can be profiles made from wood, plastics or metal, i.e. extruded aluminium profiles. The means comprises sections for feeding in profiles, working and feeding out the worked profiles, and optionally between the working section and the feed out section a means for cutting worked profiles to correct length. The means also comprises arrangements for linear movement of the profiles through the sections. Working of wooden plastics and metal profiles is mainly threading, hole-making and making of slots and grooves. The geometrical shape of the holes may vary without limits which is made use of for example when working hollow aluminium profiles for use as window frames or the like. It is already known to work profiles in a means which comprises sections for feeding in, working and feeding-out the profiles. This means also comprises moving arrangements for the linear movement of the profile through the sections. When the profile shall be worked it is clamped by fastening means, so-called clamps, which grip the profile. In order to achieve sufficient stability of the profile at the working it should be clamped on both sides of the working area. The working tools, i.e. milling cutter or drill, are mounted in motor driven spindles. At the working the tools move relative to the profile along the length axis of the tool. In the case that the hole is intended to be elongated, for example in the length direction of the profile, the profile is being moved during working. This is made possible thereby that the clamps which hold the profile during the working are made as so- called roller clamps, i.e. the profile is clamped between rolls which can rotate around their axes and thereby make it possible to move the profile during working. The working tools are positioned along the line within the working section which can therefore become relatively long. Important factors by the working of profiles are speed and precision. The object of the present invention is to make possible working with a greater precision and also less time consumption. This is achieved by a means having those specific properties which are described in the characterizing part of claim 1. Further embodiments of the invention are characterized by those details which are mentioned in the dependent claims. The invention will be illustrated below by the examples which are shown in the enclosed figures. Figure 1 shows a means according to the invention with sections for feeding in, working and feeding-out and for cutting of worked profiles. Figure 2 schematically shows the working section in the means of figure 1. Figure 3 shows one of the work units of the working section seen from the side at right angle to the direction of movement of the object which is being worked. Figure 4 shows a section along the line A - A of a part of the working section of figure 3. The means shown in figure 1 for working of elongated objects, such as wooden, plastics or metal profiles, comprises a feeding in section 1, a working section 2 and a feeding-out section 4. The means also comprises a cutting section 3 for cutting of worked objects. There are also arrangements for linear movement of the objects through the means in the direction which is marked with an arrow in the feeding sections. Further the means is equipped with several auxiliary means, mainly clamps for clamping of the objects during working. Figure 2 shows the working unit 5, comprising four work units which are held together by a frame and each having its own outer frame 6, 7, 8, 9. The objects which shall be worked upon are moved through the working unit in the direction which is shown by the arrow 10. In each of the separate frames there are mounted means for carrying the working tools. In principle the four frames 6, 7, 8, 9 are made in the same way and as an example vertically positioned frame 8 is shown in figure 3. In this frame there is a driving motor 18, on to the axis of which the tools for the working can be mounted. The motor 18 is in a suitable way mounted in a holder 11. The holder 11 is movable side-wise, as indicated by the arrow 14 by gliding on guideways 16, 17. The guideways are mounted in holders 12, 15 which themselves are movably mounted in the frame 8 in order to make possible movements up and down, as shown by the arrow 23. The mounting of the motor 18 is shown more in detail in figure 4 which is a cross section along the line A - A of parts of the means shown in figure 3. The motor 18 is mounted on the holder 11 by means of a shaft 19. Hereby the motor can be turned around the shaft as shown by the arrow 20 which brings with it an inclined setting of the tool 22 relative to the worked object. The means which are required in order to achieve the movements described above and to keep or lock the various parts in certain positions are for the sake of clarity not shown in the figures. In order to achieve sufficient precision servo motors connected with threaded shafts can be used for all movement of tool holding devices. The clamps for holding the worked goods can be controlled e.g. by air pressure cylinders. As is obvious from the above description, the working tool can make movements with three essential degrees of freedom, one movement being at right angle to the direction of movement of the worked object and movements in two directions which are at right angles to each other and in a plane which is parallel to the direction of movement of the object. Also described in the example above is a fourth degree of freedom obtained thereby that the driving motor for the tools is mounted on a shaft and is movable for inclination of the tool relative to the worked object. Also a fifth degree of freedom is possible, mainly a movement around the shaft at right angle to the above-mentioned shaft in a plane parallel to the direction of movement of the worked object. Other embodiments of the invention can be that the four frames included in a working unit are positioned in a different way relative to each other. It is, however, essential that working with use of several tools can be performed within a small area and with several degrees of freedom for the movements of the tool. As several steps of the work in this way can be performed at the same time the total time for the whole working job is reduced. - By concentrating the tools to a short distance, the distance between the clamps situated before and after the postion where the working is done is reduced why the precision is increased. This also makes it possible to use working with high tool speed and as an example it can be mentioned that spindle speeds up to 60.000 rpm can be used with drills and cutting mills having an outer diameter up to 8 mm. A special grade of oil for cutting edges and drill tips is used to make this possible. This grade of oil consists of 100 percent organic lubricant and contains no water. The cutting oil therefore has little cooling effect and its sole funtion is to reduce friction between the worked object and the cutting edge and to eliminate adhesion of milling chips from the worked object onto the tool. In order to achieve a faster movement of the clamps which are used for clamping the objects, the clamps can be made with one fixed and one movable shoe, whereby the movable shoe is mounted onto a cylinder, the opposite end of which is mounted onto a further cylinder in order to achieve a two-step movement of the clamp.

Claims: CLAIMS 1) Means for working of elongated objects, e.g. metal profiles, comprising feeding in section, working section and feeding out section and arrangements for linear movement through the different sections of the object which shall be worked, characterized by a working station within the working section, comprising a frame or the like which in itself comprises several, preferably four, working units, whereby each working unit may carry on one or several working tools, e.g. cutting mill or drill which during the working can move with at least three degrees of freedom. i 2) Means according to claim 1, characterized in that the four working units are mounted around the path of the object with o 90 angular setting between each unit. 3) Means according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that three degrees of freedom for movement in the space are at right angles to each other. 4) Means according to claim 3, characterized in that the degrees of freedom comprise three directions of movement of the the working tools, whereby one of the directions is at right angle and the other two directions are in a plane which is parallel to the direction of movement of the worked object. 5) Means according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by clamping devices which hold the worked object during each separate stage of working. 6) Means according to claim 5, characterized in that the clamping means each comprises one fixed and one movable shoe, whereby the movable shoe is mounted onto a cylinder, the opposite end of which is mounted onto a further cylinder in order to achieve a two-step movement of the shoe.

Inventors: ABDIOU WALTER, WALLSTEN STEN, ABDIOU, WALTER, WALLSTEN, STEN
Applicants: STEN WALLSTEN NIKOM AB
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B23Q23
IPC codes: B23Q1, B23Q37