Automated maintenance system for computer numerically controlled machines

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for automatically, accurately, and repeatable aligning computer numerically controlled (CNC) movable machine components with respect to their respective degrees of freedom of motion. One embodiment of the invention, particularly useful for maintenance purposes, provides a programmable CNC programmer that uses a spindle mounted probe to measure at least two different positions of a point on a movable machine component to evaluate the geometric condition of the component with respect to a degree of freedom of motion of the component and issue alignment instructions to the machine operator. One embodiment provides the invention in a CNC computer program on a programmable media having a programmed set of instructions. The preferred embodiment uses the controller control the CNC machine's operation and spindle movement, perform the machine components' maintenance evaluation, and issue instructions for aligning the components in a consistent manner.

Description: Field of the Invention The invention relates to computer numerically controlled machines and in particular to automated machine component evaluation for use in aligning and maintaining such machines. Description of Related Art Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines are used to accurately machine and produce parts in an efficient and repeatable manner. CNC machines typically use compensation techniques to account for linear positional errors, and tool length errors. Methods and apparatuses are conventionally available to manually evaluate a CNC machine's geometric conditions with respect to their various degrees of freedom of motion to determine whether alignment or machine restoration is required. Automatic tool length compensation is also available to evaluate machine rotary tool lengths and compensation lengths for use by CNC machines. These techniques are used for insuring machining accuracy. Various devices, probes, and systems have been developed for accurately and automatically measuring tool length errors and work piece dimensions. Examples of such systems, using sensor apparatuses commonly referred to as touch trigger probes, are illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 4,382,215 entitled "System and Method of Precision Machining", by Allan R. Barlow and William A. Hunter, which issued on May 3, 1983; U.S. Patent No. 4,428,055, entitled "Tool Touch Probe System and Method of Precision Machining", by John R. Zubrick and John R. Kelley, which issued on January 24, 1984; and U.S. Patent No. 4,899,094 entitled "Method of Calibration for an Automatic Machine Tool" by David I. Pilborough, which issued on February 6, 1990, and is assigned to Renishaw plc in England. These patents provide background information as well as illustrate some of the prior art. Good machine maintenance involving machine evaluation and restoration is important for accurate and precision machining. Conventional machine maintenance evaluation is labor intensive and dependant. Because of the amount of human intervention required differences occur in the machine's evaluation and restoration. Different technicians may perform the maintenance procedures slightly differently. Environmental differences such as temperature may also effect the alignment of machine components. Another problem associated with conventional restoration procedures relates to repeatability which is a particular concern for machining operations using statistical analysis to improve quality. Therefore, there exists a need to accurately evaluate a machine's geometric condition during the machining process without significantly interrupting the flow of work through the machine. There is also a need to evaluate and restore the machine in a quicker more repeatable manner than is conventionally available. Two proposals for dealing with this problem, but of a different type to the present invention, have been made in WO 91/16673 and WO 88/102139. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide a system and method for automatically, accurately, and repeatably evaluating a geometric condition of a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine components with respect to its degrees of freedom of motion and issuing aligning instructions to the machine operator. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an alignment system for a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine having movable machine components, said alignment system comprising: a spindle having a spindle mounted tool holding means; a probe to measure relative positions of the machine components, said probe being mountable in said tool holding means ; control means for moving said spindle mounted probe to probe at least two different positions of a point on a movable machine component; computing means for using said at least two different positions to evaluate a geometric condition of the machine component with respect to at least one degree of freedom of motion of said machine component; and means for providing alignment instructions for an operator to follow to align the machine component in response to the geometric condition of the machine component, the geometric condition being an angular misalignment of the machine component requiring human adjustments to properly realign the machine component. Preferably the computing means further comprises means for calculating misalignment of the machine's movable component. The computing means may also comprise means determining and issuing alignment instructions for the component. The preferred embodiment uses a CNC controller display to display the calculated amount of misalignment and issue alignment instructions. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for aligning a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine having movable machine components the method comprising the steps of: directing a spindle mounted probe to measure at least two different positions of a point on a movable machine component relative to a degree of freedom of motion of the machine component; using the at least two measured positions to evaluate a geometric condition of the machine component relative to said degree of freedom of motion of the machine component; and providing alignment instructions for an operator to follow to align the machine component in response to the geometric condition of the machine component, the geometric condition being an angular misalignment of the machine component requiring human adjustments to properly realign the machine component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing aspects and other features of the invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing where: FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a CNC machine including a reference coordinate system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a z carrier spacer support system of CNC machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 2a is a perspective view of an adjustable spacer for z carrier spacer support in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a y carrier spacer support system of CNC machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a sideways diagrammatic view of a TVG test bar mounted in a spindle mechanism of CNC machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 4a is a sideways diagrammatic view of a trigger type probe mounted in a spindle mechanism of CNC machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective diagrammatic view illustrating a procedure to determine the alignment on geometric condition of the spindle center of rotation using TVG test bar of FIG. 4 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view generally illustrating the probing procedure of the present invention. FIG. 7a is a perspective diagrammatic view illustrating a procedure to evaluate the X home position of CNC machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 7b is a perspective diagrammatic view illustrating a procedure to evaluate the Z home position of CNC machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a perspective diagrammatic view illustrating a procedure for evaluating a tilt of a table B axis of a rotatable tabletop of CNC machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a graph of illustrating a trend for a geometric condition of a machine component in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine 6 of the 5 axis multi-purpose milling, drilling, and boring machine type such as the T-30 manufactured by Cincinnati Milacron. CNC machine 6 is generally constructed about a column 8 mounted on a linearly movable machine base 12 slidably resting on horizontal X direction guideways 16 parallel to the X axis. CNC machine 6 functions to position, power, and control a spindle mechanism 10, rotatable about its centerline of rotation C, relative to a positionable work table 11. Powered by the machine's motor (not shown), spindle mechanism 10 includes a tool holder 14 adapted for receiving and retaining various cutting tools, measuring devices, and probes used in the machining process. CNC machine 6 provides a means to move spindle mechanism 10, while it is spinning a tool mounted in its tool holder 14, relative to a work piece (not shown) mounted at a particular position on a work table 11. Relative positioning between work piece and spinning spindle mechanism 10 is provided along 3 linear motion axis X, Y, and Z and about two rotational axes, trunnion axis A and table axis B as shown in the corresponding reference axis in FIG. 1. CNC machine 6 has a spindle carrier 22 to which spindle mechanism 10 is trunnioned thereby allowing spindle mechanism 10 to be pivoted about trunnion axis A which is parallel to the X axis. The centerline of rotation C, of spindle mechanism 10, is parallel to the Z axis when trunnion angle a=0°. Spindle carrier 22 is slidably mounted to vertical or Y guideways 30, which in turn are mounted to column 8, to provide motion along the Y axis for spindle mechanism 10. Horizontal Z direction guideways 36 slideably support work table 11 having a tabletop 44 rotatable about a vertical table axis B which, when properly aligned, is parallel to the Y axis. The present invention in its preferred embodiment is designed to be use without a work piece mounted on a movable pallet (not shown) which is removably mountable to tabletop 44 (which is also referred to as a clamp plate when adapted to secure a movable pallet). The evaluation procedures of the present invention are preferably carried out without the pallet and work piece mounted on machine 6 and are preferably done with the pallet in transit, such as on an automated guide vehicle (also not shown), in order to eliminate or significantly reduce the amount of time machine 6 is not running. The top of clamp plate 44 provides a reference top surface 56 which is rotatable about table axis B. Work table 11 includes a Z carrier 13 which is provided with a means for adjusting or aligning table axis B by adjusting four sets of z carrier spacers 60 (the location of three shown) upon which work table 11 rests. Another 4 sets of y carrier spacers 62 (the location of three shown), for use in mounting spindle carrier 22 to vertical guideways 30, are used to align trunnion axis A of spindle mechanism 10. Illustrated in FIG. 2 is a conventional z carrier support spacer 60 supporting z carrier 13 on z guideways 36 and mounted to z roller bearing packs 58 having roller bearings 59. Two z side spacers 61 (one of which is shown) lie essentially along the same z coordinate on z carrier 13 and are also used for component alignment. Carrier support spacer 60 is more particularly illustrated In FIG. 2a as having a grind stock 63 with a height D for grinding in order to adjust the carrier, side spacers are similarly constructed with a grind stock. Similar to z carrier spacer arrangement in FIG. 2 is y carrier spacer arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3 whereby y carrier 22 is supported on guideways 30 by conventional y carrier support spacers 60' which are mounted on y roller bearing packs 58' having roller bearings 59. Two z side spacers 61' (only one shown) lie essentially along the same y coordinate on y carrier 22 and are also used for component alignment. Referring back briefly to FIG. 1, an automatic tool changing mechanism 70 is provided for CNC machine 6, of a type commonly used in the industry, and is adapted to store a TVG test bar (tool verification gauge test bar 74 and trigger probes 80 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 4a respectively. Illustrated in FIG. 4 is a TVG test bar 74 which is a standardized reference having a known diameter and fixed length L to its spindle gauge line SPGL at which point it mates, at a known trunnion length L2 measured from axis A to SPGL, to spindle mechanism 10. FIG. 4a illustrates a conventional trigger type probe 80 such as a Renishaw touch trigger probe, which is also stored in automatic tool changing mechanism 70, for use in making the alignment measurements. Probe 80 is also constructed to mate to spindle mechanism 10 at their common spindle gauge line SPGL. Referring again to FIG. 1, a beam actuated measuring device 84 is mounted to a platform 11a (extending from Z carrier 13) which has been conventionally used for accurately measuring lengths of tools. Such a beam type device, often referred to as a TVG beam (tool verification gauge beam), is explained in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 4,518,257 entitled "Optical Inspection System and Method", by Charles Wayne Donaldson, which issued on May 21, 1985, is incorporated herein by reference. Another conventional reference device is a datum cube 90 shown fixedly mounted to a second platform 11b extending from worktable 11 and used in conjunction with probes to evaluate the geometric condition of spindle mechanism 10 with respect to its degrees of freedom of motion. Control of CNC machine is provided by a computerized controller 64 having a display 68 and generally mounted near or in the vicinity of column 8 and work table 11. Computerized controller 64 is capable of being programmed to machine a work piece and is programmable for making alignment measurements, calculating the amount of misalignment, and displaying the amount of misalignment on display 68. Programs are loaded in a conventional manner using CNC tapes. Misalignment of a machine component occurs when a geometric condition of the machine's component varies from preplanned, programmed, or restoration values. Though some linear misalignments can be compensated by incorporating offsets by well known techniques in the machining programs, angular misalignments, table axis B for example, conventionally require human measurements and adjustments to properly realign the respective components. Another feature of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is that controller 64 is programmed with a table or set of alignment instructions for an operator to follow to align a machine component such as work table 11 in order to restore table axis B to its parallel position to reference axis Y if so desired. The logic to evaluate the misalignment and determine whether restoration is desired is also programmed into controller 64 by CNC tape. The schedule of alignment procedures is stored as a function of machine component misalignment measurements which in the preferred embodiment are made by detecting the position in space of a feature on the machine component at two or more different positions. Several types of machine component evaluations are contemplated by the present invention. Some of these are illustrated herein. Though the illustrations herein are shown for a Cincinnati Milacron T-30 5 axes machine it should be understood that the invention is applicable to any NC machine with similar machine components. Illustrated in FIG. 5 is one embodiment of the present invention to evaluate the geometric condition of the angular degree of freedom of motion of the spindle's centerline of rotation C of spindle mechanism 10 in the ZY plane using TVG test bar 74. Spindle mechanism 10, in the horizontal position at an angle a=0°, is moved downward to break an infrared TVG beam 85 of beam actuated measuring device 84 at which point controller 64 then records a first position P1 having a z coordinate Z1 and a y coordinate Y1. Spindle 10 is then extended a distance in the Z direction delta z and the procedure is repeated to determine a second set of coordinates Z2 and Y2 by passing the TVG bar through the TVG beam at a second position P2. TVG beam 85 is then probed by TVG bar 74 and breaks TVG beam 84 at a Y2 coordinate which should be equal to the Y1 coordinate otherwise the spindle's centerline of rotation C of spindle mechanism 10 is not properly aligned and may require alignment. FIG. 6 generally illustrates a probing technique using a trigger type probe to illustrate the present invention, a series of computerized machine instructions to machine 6, in FIG. 1, coded on a programmable computer readable media such as a CNC tape. A trigger probe 80 mounted in a spindle mechanism 10 is used to evaluate a position P1 of a contact point P related to a respective geometric condition and a degree of freedom of motion of that component. A probing path to probe first position P1 is indicated by dotted lines 11. This convention will be used in the discussion below. Probing, in three dimensional space, is typically performed in a coordinate direction, such as in the X direction, to determine a corresponding coordinate, such as X0, of a position, such as P0. The other two coordinates, such as Y0 and Z0, are set by the numerical controller of the machine while a probe is used to the strike position, P0, and capture and record the third coordinate, X0. Evaluation of X and Z axis home positions in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 7a and 7b respectively. Evaluation of home or 0 positions of the X and Z axes of machine 6 may be used for machine restoration and is also useful for calculation and storage in controller 64 of respective offsets used by the machine to accurately position spindle mechanism 10 and a rotary tool point of a tool that would be mounted therein during machining. Trigger probe 80 is used, its first position P1 is probed using a probe path illustrated in dotted line format, and its second position P2 is probed using a probe path illustrated in dashed line format. Referring to FIG. 7a for the X axis home position evaluation, probe 80 mounted in spindle mechanism 10, at a trunnion angle a=-90° and in line with table axis B, is brought in to touch tabletop 44 near its edge to determine it's height or Y position. The top surface of tabletop 44 is probed with probe 80 at a point having a position P0, near the edge of tabletop 44. Then with probe 80 held at a position slightly below tabletop height, e.g. .25 inches below, a contact point P on the tabletop 44 is probed in the +X direction. A first position P1 and its x coordinate X1 (having a -X value) is recorded by controller 64. Next, probe 80 is withdrawn and moved in the +X direction to the other side of tabletop 44, as indicated by the dashed line and arrows, tabletop 44 is rotated 180° about table axis B. Probe 80 is also rotated 180° about the centerline of rotation C of spindle mechanism 10, to eliminate any error due to a possibly bent probe, and tabletop 44 is probed in the -X direction at the same contact point P at a second position P2 having a new X coordinate X2 (having + X value) and the same Y and Z coordinates as P1. If the absolute values of both X1 and X2 are equal then the home position in controller 64 is correct. If the there is a difference then an X displacement (offset) is calculated as being half the difference between the X1 and X2 values. FIG. 7b illustrates a method by which the Z axis home position can be found using the apparatus and methodology of the present invention. First a contact point P is probed from the -X and +X direction, at two positions that are 180° apart and are in line with and on either side of table axis B, and in the same manner as illustrated in FIG. 7a. Having thus set the X home position by probing positions P1 and P2 as in FIG. 7a, a tabletop radius R from table axis B to position P1 is determined by dividing the difference of the X coordinates of positions P1 and P2 by 2, i.e. (X1-X2)/2). Then tabletop 44 and contact point P are rotated 90° about B axis from position P1 to position P3 and probe 80 is rotated 90 degrees to offset any bent probe effect. Then, with probe 80 mounted in spindle mechanism 10 at a trunnion angle a=-90°, contact point P on tabletop 44 is probed in the -Z direction at position P3 and should have a position a distance R from table axis B. One embodiment of the present invention is a technique to automatically evaluate the tilt of table axis B of rotatable tabletop 44 as illustrated in FIG. 8. Table axis B may have a tilt in a XY plane and in a ZY plane. Probe 80 is used to probe a contact point P on top surface 56 of tabletop 44 at two positions 180° apart in a first plane and at a third position 90,° in between the first two, in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, passing through table axis B. First, tabletop 44, with table axis B set at b=0°, is probed at point P0 on its -X facing edge with probe 80 mounted in spindle mechanism 10 at a trunnion angle a=0, and its X coordinate, X0, is recorded. Probe 80 then probes, in the -Y direction, a contact point P on surface 56 having a first position P1 which is at trunnion angle a=0 and at an X coordinate slightly inward from -X facing side of tabletop 44 having an X run in of about .25 inches (i.e. X1 = X0 - .25"). This first path of probe 80 is indicated by a dashed line and used to measure and record the coordinates of position P1 at the time of the probe strike at P1 as X1, Y1 and Z1. Next, probe 80 is withdrawn and moved to the other side of tabletop 44 which is rotated 180°. Tabletop 44 is probed in the -X direction to establish P0' and an X run in. Contact point P in the -Y direction is then probed at a second position P2 on surface 56 of tabletop 44 in the same manner as for P1, as shown by the dotted line, to determine Y2 at X2 and Z1. Note the Z coordinate does not change. The tabletop is then rotated 90° from its first position to move contact point P to a third position P3. Contact point P is then probed in the same manner as in positions P1 and P2 to determine a Y3 at X3 and Z3. The X3 axis position is (X2 + X1)/2. The distance of the probe strike location from the B axis of rotation is (X2 - X1)/2. The probe strike location is then rotated 90 degrees and the Z1 axis position is moved a distance that the probe strike location is from the B axis of rotation (X2 - X1)/2 for the Z3 position. This procedure provides the data to calculate the tilt of table axis B in the ZY and YX planes. Tilt in the XY plane is equal to (Y2-Y1)/(X2-X1) and tilt in the ZY plane is equal to [Y3-(Y2+Y1)/2]/(Z3-Z1). Measurements are typically made in inches and tilt evaluations are conventionally displayed in taper per foot which is inches per foot. Therefore, [(Y2-Y1)/(X2-X1)]*12 is the taper per foot in the X direction and [(Y3-(Y2+Y1)/2)/(Z3 - Z1)]*12 is the taper per foot in the Z direction, both of which are displayed on display 68 in FIG. 1. The present invention provides controller 64 with a computer program whereby based on the misalignment of table axis B of work table 44 a set of alignment instructions may be displayed on display 68. Alignment for table axis B is typically accomplished by adjusting z carrier spacers 60 as discussed above. By way of example, if B axis is off in both planes then 3 of the four z carrier spacers would have to be ground according to equations stored in controller 64. The screen would display instructions such as the following example. 0014" off Z axis carrier spacer #1 0008" off Z axis carrier spacer #3 0022" off Z axis carrier spacer #4 In addition the present invention contemplates the storage of certain cautions and other instructions which would be displayed at this point in the operation. An example of such a caution is as follows. Be sure clamp plate is clean of nicks and dirt. Reset Z carrier preload to 120 inch pounds. Rerun for correction needed. Such evaluations and alignments may be run several times a year. When a correction or alignment is carried out a confirming evaluation run should be made again which, because of the speed afforded by the present invention, enhances the reliability of the NC machine. Evaluations of an NC machine may not always require adjustments, corrections, or alignments and the present invention also provides for evaluations to be stored in controller 64 and passed on to a host digital numerical control (DNC) computer for statistical deterministic prediction maintenance techniques whereby a geometric condition of a machine component may be tracked between an upper limit UL and a lower limit LL as illustrated in the graph of FIG. 9. A trend may be shown between upper and lower limits so that maintenance may be performed before a machining error is made. Further illustrations may be found in Appendix A of this application. Appendix A is an NC code listing illustrating various embodiments of the present invention and is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

Claims: An alignment system for a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine (6) having movable machine components, said alignment system comprising: a spindle (10) having a spindle mounted tool holding means (14); a probe (74,80) to measure relative positions of the machine components (44), said probe (74,80) being mountable in said tool holding means ; control means (64) for moving said spindle mounted probe (74,80) to probe at least two different positions of a point on a movable machine component (44); computing means for using said at least two different positions to evaluate a geometric condition of the machine component (44) with respect to at least one degree of freedom of motion of said machine component (44); and means (68) for providing alignment instructions for an operator to follow to align the machine component (44) in response to the geometric condition of the machine component (44), the geometric condition being an angular misalignment of the machine component (44) requiring human adjustments to properly realign the machine component (44). The alignment system of claim 1, wherein said computing means further comprises means for calculating an amount of misalignment of said machine component (44) with respect to said at least one degree of freedom of motion of said machine component (44). The alignment system of claim 2, wherein said computing means further comprises: means for storing a schedule of alignment instructions as a function of machine component misalignment measurements; and means for determining and issuing alignment instructions in response to the amount of misalignment calculated. The alignment system of claim 3, further comprising a display screen (68) associated with the CNC machine for displaying said alignment instructions. The alignment system of claim 1, wherein said computing means further comprises: means for storing a schedule of alignment instructions as a function of a parameter related to said machine component degree of freedom of motion for aligning said machine component; and means for comparing said evaluated geometric condition against said schedule. The alignment system of claim 1, further comprising means for tracking the geometric condition of the machine component (49) over a series of different evaluations. The alignment system of claim 1, wherein said alignment instructions comprise instructions for adjusting a set of spacers (60,62) associated with the machine component. A method for aligning a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine (6) having movable machine components (10,44) the method comprising the steps of: directing a spindle mounted probe (74,80) to measure at least two different positions of a point on a movable machine component (44) relative to a degree of freedom of motion of the machine component (44); using the at least two measured positions to evaluate a geometric condition of the machine component (44) relative to said degree of freedom of motion of the machine component ; and providing alignment instructions (68) for an operator to follow to align the machine component (44) in response to the geometric condition of the machine component (44), the geometric condition being an angular misalignment of the machine component (44) requiring human adjustments to properly realign the machine component (44). The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of calculating an amount of misalignment of the machine component (44) from said geometric condition of the machine component (44) with respect to said degree of freedom of motion of the machine component (49). The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: providing a schedule of alignment instructions as a function of machine component misalignment measurements; and selecting and issuing alignment instructions in response to the geometric condition of the machine component (44). The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of tracking the geometric condition of the machine component (44) over a series of different evaluations. The alignment system of claim 8, wherein said alignment instructions comprise instructions for adjusting a set of spacers associated with the machine component (44).

Inventors: FREZZA JOHN GUY JOSEPH, HEMMERLE DAVID R, RANDOLPH JAMES EDWARD JR, FREZZA, JOHN GUY JOSEPH, HEMMERLE, DAVID R., RANDOLPH, JAMES EDWARD, JR.
Applicants: GEN ELECTRIC, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G05B19
IPC codes: G05B19, B23Q17, B23Q15