METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF TURNING OPERATIONS

Abstract: An adaptive control system for adaptively controlling a turning operation performed at a workpiece by a turning tool adjusts a controlled input operation parameter F to maintain an output operation parameter DELTA M substantially at a predetermined value DELTA Mo to compensate variation of the output operation parameter DELTA M caused by the variation of at least one operation condition B = B(t). The system comprises a sensor (8) of the output operation parameter DELTA M for providing a signal Uc proportional to a current value DELTA Mc, and an adaptive controller (10) for determining a value Fc to which the input operation parameter F should be adjusted, as a function of kUc, where k is a signal transmission coefficient which comprises an invariant signal transmission coefficient component ko inversely proportional to DELTA Mo. The adaptive controller (10) includes an amplifier (14) transforming the signal Uc into koUc, and an input parameter override unit (9) controlled to adjust the controlled operation input parameter to Fc. The adaptive controller (10) further comprises a correction processing means (16) calculating kcUc, where kc is a varying signal transmission coefficient component whose current values depend on the variation of the operation condition B = B(t). The adaptive controller (10) is capable of calculating k=f(ko,kc).

Description: METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF TURNING OPERATIONS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to adaptive control of cutting operations on CNC-operated machine tools in which a controlled input parameter characterizing the movement of a cutting tool relative to a workpiece, is continuously adjusted during a cutting operation in response to a measured output operation parameter defining the productivity of the operation. The present invention particularly concerns the adaptive control of turning operations performed on lathes, where the controlled input parameter is a feed rate of the cutting tool and the output parameter is a cutting torque, cutting force or consumed power of the lathe's spindle drive. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a CNC-operated lathe, a program instructs a feeding means on a feed rate with which a taming tool should cut a workpiece and instructs the lathe's spindle drive on a speed with which a workpiece associated therewith should be rotated. The feed rate and the selected speed are controlled input parameters that are normally fixed by the program for each cutting operation based on pre-programmed cutting conditions such as depth of cut, diameter of the workpiece, material of the workpiece to be machined, type of the cutting tool, etc. However, the efficiency of CNC programs is limited by their incapability to take into account unpredictable real-time changes of some of the cutting conditions, namely the changes of the depth of cut, non-uniformity of a workpiece material, tool wear, etc. Optimization of cutting operations on CNC-operated lathes, as well as on most other machine tools, is usually associated with the adaptive control of the movement of a cutting tool relative to a workpiece and, particularly, with the adjustment of the cutting tool's feed rate as a function of a measured cutting xorque developed by the machine tool, to compensate the change in cutting conditions. Fig. 3 illustrates a known control system for adaptively controlling a turning operation, for use with a CNC-operated lathe having a feeding means and a spindle drive that are instructed by a CNC program to establish the movement of, respectively, a cutting tool and a workpiece attached to the spindle, with pre-programmed values of respective controlled input parameters F 0 that is a basic feed of the cutting tool and S 0 that is a basic rotational speed of the spindle (the cutting tool and the workpiece are not shown). As seen in Fig. 3, the control system comprises a torque sensor for measuring a cutting torque ΔM developed by the spindle drive. Depending on an unpredictable variation of cutting conditions B, the cutting torque ΔM may have different current values ΔM c in accordance with which the torque sensor generates current signals U c proportional to ΔMc. The control system also comprises a known adaptive controller including an amplifier with a signal transmission coefficient ko, trarisforming the signal U c into ko U c and subsequently determining a value F < F 0 = k o U c ) to which the feed rate F c should be adjusted, by a feed rate override unit, in order to compensate the variation of the cutting conditions B and to, thereby, maintain the cutting torque ΔMc as close as possible to its maximal value ΔMmax, required for the maximal metal-working productivity. The maximal value of the cutting torque ΔMmax is a predetermined cutting torque developed by the spindle drive during cutting with a maximal depth of cut, and the signal transmission coefficient of the amplifier is defined as max where U max is a signal from the torque sensor corresponding to the maximal torque ΔM max . The current value Fc F 0 is defined by the adaptive controller based on its signal transmission coefficient ko, pre-programmed basic feed rate F 0 and signal U c , in accordance with the following relationship: where A = Fid/F 0 , and Fid is an idle feed (feed without cutting). The coefficient A characterizes the extent to which the feed rate F c may be increased relative to its pre-programmed value Fo, and it usually does not exceed 2. Since, as mentioned above, the signal U c is proportional to the cutting torque ΔMc, the relationship (1) may be presented, for the purpose of explaining the physical model of the adaptive controller, as follows: ^- = A - K^ c = a c , (2) where Ko is a correction coefficient corresponding to the signal transmission coefficient ko of the adaptive controller and it is accordingly calculated as K Λ =- The physical model of the adaptive controller is illustrated in Fig. 4. As seen, the change of the cutting conditions B influences the current value ΔMc of the cutting torque which is used by the adaptive controller to determine the coefficient ac characterizing the current value F c to which the feed rate should be adjusted to compensate the changed cutting conditions B. It is known that, in a turning operation, the cutting condition that changes unpredictably in time and that is mostly responsible for the variation of the cutting torque is the depth of cut he = hc(t). When turning a workpiece of a given diameter, the cutting torque ΔMc is proportional to the depth of cut he as follows: ΔM c = cF c hc = cF 0 a c h c , (3) where c is a static coefficient established for turning operations and ac is defined in the equation (2). Based on the equations (3) and (2), the cutting torque ΔM C may be expressed as: = AcF 0 h c l + cF 0 h c K o If in the equation (4), the coefficient A = 2 and h c = h max , the maximal cutting torque ΔMc may be expressed as: Similarly, when the depth of cut is of a very small value h m i n such that hmin hmax « 1, the cutting torque ΔMmin will also be very small: AM_ « 2cF„h_ « AM_ (6) It follows from the above that, with the adaptive controller as described, there still may be a significant variation of the cutting torque ΔMc during cutting with the depth of cut varying in a wide range, as illustrated in Fig. 5, curve I. It is the object of the present invention to provide a new method and system for the adaptive control of a turning operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of adaptively controlling a turning operation performed on a workpiece by a turning tool, by controlling an adjustable input operation parameter F of the movement of the turning tool relative to the workpiece, to maintain an output operation parameter M substantially at a predetemiined value ΔM o and thereby to substantially compensate the variation of said output operation parameter ΔM caused by the variation of at least one operation condition B = B(t) varying in time, the method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring a current value ΔM c of the output parameter ΔM, (b) estimating the relation between ΔM c and ΔM o by multiplying ΔM c by a correction coefficient K which comprises an invariant correction coefficient component Ko inversely proportional to ΔMo, and (c) detemiining a value F c to which the input operation parameter F should be adjusted, as a function of KΔM C ; characterized in that (d) said correction coefficient K comprises a varying correction coefficient component whose current value K c changes in accordance with the variation of said operation condition B = B(t), the step (b) further comprising calculating the current value Kc and Kc). Preferably, K = Ko- Kc. The operation input parameter F is preferably a feed rate of the turning tool and the operation output parameter ΔM is preferably a cutting torque developed by a drive rotating the workpiece. However, the operation output parameter may also be a cutting force applied by the tool to the workpiece or a power consumed by the drive. The predetermined value ΔM o of the output parameter is preferably a maximal value ΔM max which this parameter may have when the varying operation condition B differs to a maximal extent from its original or nominal value. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, the invariant correction coefficient component K o is defined as K - A where Λ - -. with Fd being an idle feed and F 0 being a pre-programmed basic feed rate. The varying operation condition B may be a real physical parameter such as a depth of cut h e = h c (t), hardness of the workpiece material, etc., whereby current values of the varying coefficient component Kc may then be obtained based on sensing current values of this parameter. Alternatively, the varying operation condition B may be a mathematical equivalent of one or more physical parameters of the cutting process. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adaptive control system for adaptively controlling a turning operation performed at a workpiece by a turning tool, by adjusting a controlled input operation parameter F to maintain an output operation parameter ΔM substantially at a predeteirnined value ΔMo and thereby to substantially compensate variation of said output operation parameter ΔM caused by the variation of at least one operation condition B = B(t), the system comprising: a sensor of the output operation parameter ΔM for providing a signal U c proportional to a current value ΔMc; an adaptive controller for determining a value F c to which the input operation parameter F should be adjusted, as a function of kU c , where k is a signal transmission coefficient which comprises an invariant signal transmission coefficient component k o inversely proportional to ΔMo, said controller including an amplifier capable of tramforming the signal U c into koU c ; and an input parameter override unit capable of being controlled by said adaptive controller to adjust the controlled operation input parameter to F c ; characterized in that said controller further comprises a correction processing means for calculating k c U c , where kc is a varying signal transmission coefficient component whose current values depend on the variation of said operation condition B = B(t), the controller being capable of calculating k = ^kc)- Preferably, the adaptive controller is capable of calculating k = ko-kc, and calculating ko as ' u where U 0 is a signal from the sensor of the operation output parameter corresponding to the value ΔMo. Preferably, ΔM o = ΔM ma x and Uo Umax- Preferably, the sensor of the output operation parameter ΔM is a sensor of a cutting torque developed by a drive rotating the workpiece and the input parameter override unit is a feed rate override unit. The correction processing means may comprise a sensor or a calculator for, respectively, sensing or calculating current values of the operation condition B, to be subsequently used in the calculation of k c . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. 1A and IB are block diagrams of adaptive control systems having adaptive controllers in accordance with two different embodiments of the present invention; Figs. 2A and 2B illustrate physical models of the adaptive controllers shown, respectively, in Figs. 1A and IB; Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a control system having a known adaptive controller; Fig. 4 illustrates a physical model of the known adaptive controller shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 illustrates the dependence of the cutting torque ΔMc on the cutting depth he in systems having a known adaptive controller as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 (curve I), and having an adaptive controller according to the present invention (curve H). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figs. 1A and IB illustrate two different embodiments of an adaptive control system according to the present invention, for use with a CNC-operated lathe for adaptively controlling a turning operation performed on a workpiece by a cutting tool (not shown). The control systems designated as la and lb in respective Figs. 1A and IB, each have a feeding means 2 connected to the cutting tool and a spindle drive 4 associated with the workpiece, that are instructed by a program of a CNC unit 6 to establish the relative movement between the cutting tool and the workpiece with pre-programmed values of respective basic feed rate F 0 of the cutting tool and basic rotational speed S 0 of the spindle. Each control system, la and lb further comprises a torque sensor 8 for measuring a cutting torque ΔMc developed by the spindle drive and varying in time depending on a cutting depth hc=hc(t) and generating a signal U c proportional to the cutting torque ΔM c . It also has a feed rate override unit 9 for adjusting the feed rate F c so as to maintain the cutting torque ΔMc as close as possible to its maximal value ΔMmax, required for the maximal metal-working productivity. The feed rate override unit 9 is controlled by an adaptive controller 10 operating on the signal U c from the torque sensor 8 to determine the extent Ε F 0 to which the override unit 9 should adjust the feed rate F c . hi accordance with the equation (1) presented in the Background of the Invention, the known adaptive controller of turning operations described therein determines Fc F 0 as: ^ = A - k o υ c , F o where k o is a signal transmission coefficient of the known adaptive controller. It will now be explained how in the adaptive controller 10 of the present invention, the signal transmission coefficient k, or its physical equivalent - the correction coefficient K - is calculated in a manner that takes into account the variation of the depth of cut he. As explained in the Background of the Invention, the cutting torque ΔM c in t irning operations may be expressed in accordance with the equation (4), in which, for the purpose of the present explanation, A is a coefficient characterizing the extent to which the feed rate F c may be increased relative to the pre-programmed value F 0 . It follows from the equation (4) that, for ensuring the condition ΔMc= ΔM max , the correction coefficient K should be: K = — — , (7) Δ M cF 0 h c where in accordance with the present invention, A/ΔM m a x = AKo constitutes a first correction coefficient component Ko which is invariant in time and 1/cFohc constitutes a second correction coefficient component Kc which varies in accordance with the variation of the depth of cut he. Based on the equation (3) wherefrom the correction coefficient K may also be expressed as: K = — °^-. (8) It follows from the above that the second coefficient component Kc may be expressed either as 1/cFohc or as ac/ΔMc. The deteπriination of the correction coefficient K should be performed under the logical conditions that K should not be less than a zero and should not exceed 1/ΔMmaχ. Figs. 2a and 2b represent physical models of the determination of the coefficient K, based on the above equations (7) and (8). In the control systems la and lb of the present invention, the physical models presented in Figs. 2 A and 2B are implemented by the adaptive controller 10 constructed to determine kUc^ koU c -kcUc, where ko is a predetermined invariant signal transmission coefficient component and kc is a varying signal transmission coefficient component dependent on the depth of cut he. The coefficient components ko and kc are determined in the same manner as the correction coefficients Ko and Kc. Namely, the invariant coefficient component ko is determined as K , max where U ma is a signal from the torque sensor 8 corresponding to the maximal torque ΔM max . The varying coefficient component kc is determined either as or, based on the equation (3), as To determine kU c , the adaptive controller 10 comprises an amplifier 14 with the invariant signal transmission coefficient ko and a correction processing means 16 with the varying signal transmission coefficient kc. Depending on the manner in which the varying signal transmission coefficient component kc is determined (according to either the equation 9 or the equation 10), the correction processing means 16 may have either a depth of cut sensor 20a (Fig. la) or a variation calculator of cutting conditions 20b (Fig. lb), and a computing element 22 for deteraiining current values of kcU c respectively based on either equation (9) or equation (10) in accordance with the respective physical models in Figs. 2A and 2B. By virtue of the adaptive control provided by the control system of the present invention, the feed rate of turning tools may be adjusted, taking into account the variation of the depth of cut he, so as to maintain the cutting torque ΔMc as close as possible to its maximal value ΔMmax, in a substantially wide range of the depth of cut, whereby the productivity of the metal-working is increased. This is illustrated in Fig. 5 as well as in the following table showing experimental results obtained with a known adaptive control system and with an adaptive control system according to the present invention: The above-described embodiments of the adaptive control system according to the present invention present non-limiting examples thereof, and it should be clear to a skilled person that, within the scope of the claims, this system may have features different from those described, and shown in the drawings.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A method of adaptively confrolling a turning operation performed on a workpiece by a turning tool, by controlling an adjustable input operation parameter F of the movement of the turning tool relative to the workpiece, 5 to maintain an output operation parameter ΔM substantially at a predetermined value ΔMo and thereby to substantially compensate the variation of said output operation parameter ΔM caused by the variation of at least one operation condition B = B(t) varying in time, the method comprising the steps of: l o (a) measuring a current value ΔMc of the output parameter ΔM, (b) estimating the relation between ΔMc and ΔM o by multiplying ΔMc by a correction coefficient K which comprises an invariant correction coefficient component Ko inversely proportional to ΔMo, and 1 5 (c) deterrmning a value F c to which the input operation parameter F should be adjusted, as a function of KΔM C ; characterized in that (d) said correction coefficient K comprises a varying correction coefficient component whose current value Kc changes in 2 0 accordance with the variation of said operation condition B = B(t), the step (b) further comprising calculating the current value Kc and calculating 2. A method according to Claim 1 , wherein K = Ko - Kc. 3. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the operation input 25 parameter F is a feed rate of the turning tool. 4. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the operation output parameter ΔM is a cutting torque developed by a drive rotating the workpiece. 5. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the predetermined value 30 ΔMo of the output parameter is a maximal value ΔMma which ϋsi& parameter may have when the varying operation condition B differs to a maximal extent from its original or nominal value. 6. A method according to Claim 5, wherein the invariant correction coefficient component K o is defined as where with Fid being an idle feed and F 0 being a pre-programmed basic feed rate. 7. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the varying operation condition B is a real physical parameter. 8. A method according to Claim 7, wherein said parameter is the depth ofcuthc = h c (t). 9. A method according to Claim 7, wherein current values of the varying coefficient component K c are obtained based on sensing current values of said parameter. 10. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the varying operation condition B is a mathematical equivalent of one or more physical parameters of the cutting process. 11. An adaptive control system for adaptively controlling a turning operation performed at a workpiece by a turning tool, by adjusting a controlled input operation parameter F to maintain an output operation parameter ΔM substantially at a predetermined value ΔMo and thereby to substantially compensate variation of said output operation parameter ΔM caused by the variation of at least one operation condition B = B(t), the system comprising: a sensor of the output operation parameter M for providing a signal Uc proportional to a current value ΔMc; an adaptive controller for determining a value F c to which the input operation parameter F should be adjusted, as a function of kU c , where k is a signal transmission coefficient which comprises an invariant signal transmission coefficient component ko inversely proportional to ΔMo, said controller including an amplifier capable of transforming the signal U c into koU c ; and an input parameter override unit capable of being controlled by said adaptive controller to adjust the controlled operation input parameter to F c ; characterized in that said controller further comprises a correction processing means for calculating kcU c , where kc is a varying signal transmission coefficient component whose current values depend on the variation of said operation condition B = B(t), the controller being capable of calculating k 12. An adaptive controller according to Claim 11, further capable of calculating k = ko-kc, and calculating ko as * - . ° ~ υf where U 0 is a signal from the sensor of the operation output parameter corresponding to the value ΔMo. 13. An adaptive controller according to Claim 12, wherein ΔMo = ΔMmax and U 0 = Umax. 14. An adaptive controller according to Claim 11 , wherein said sensor of the output operation parameter ΔM is a sensor of a cutting torque developed by a drive rotating the workpiece. 15. An adaptive controller according to Claim 11, wherein said input parameter override unit is a feed rate override unit 16. An adaptive controller according to Claim 11, wherein said correction processing means comprises a sensor or for sensing current values of the operation condition B, to be subsequently used in the calculation of kc. 17. An adaptive controller according to Claim 11, wherein said correction processing means comprises a calculator for calculating current values of the operation condition B, to be subsequently used in the calculation of kc.

Inventors: FAINSTEIN BORIS, RUBASHKIN IGOR, TABACHNIK EDUARD, ZUCKERMAN MARK, FAINSTEIN, BORIS, RUBASHKIN, IGOR, TABACHNIK, EDUARD, ZUCKERMAN, MARK
Applicants: FAINSTEIN BORIS, OMAT LTD, RUBASHKIN IGOR, TABACHNIK EDUARD, ZUCKERMAN MARK, FAINSTEIN, BORIS, OMAT LTD., RUBASHKIN, IGOR, TABACHNIK, EDUARD, ZUCKERMAN, MARK
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G05B19
IPC codes: B23Q15, G05B13, G05B19