Patents by Inventor RALF SPIELMANN

RALF SPIELMANN has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11868115
    Abstract: In a method for operating an at least two-axle machine tool, a geometric description of a path is specified, and according to the path, an advancing movement is carried out by simultaneously moving at least in one section a first axle and a second axle. A first maximum value for a first kinematic parameter relating to the advancing movement along the section of the path is defined by a control unit based on the geometric description. The advancing movement along the section is planned by the control unit by taking the first maximum value into consideration, and the axles are actuated so as to carry out the advancing movement according to the planned movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Loay Alkafafi, Tobias Kreilos, Ralf Spielmann
  • Patent number: 11782415
    Abstract: A system program monitors a numerical controller executing a useful program controlling a machine. The numerical controller determines target values for position-controlled axes and controls the position-controlled axes in accordance with the target values. The numerical controller stores resources and determines whether, and optionally to which extent, the resources are enabled or disabled. Enabling or disabling the resources specifies how many processor cores are enabled for use, or how many processor threads are enabled for use, or to what extent a processor cache or a processor main memory are enabled for use, or which hardware components of the numerical controller are enabled for use, or to what extent use of external computing power is permitted. The numerical controller determines the target values for the position-controlled axes using only the enabled resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen Bretschneider, Ralf Spielmann, Philippe Stellwag
  • Patent number: 11752569
    Abstract: In a method for severing a solid body, a defined contour is stored in a control unit configured to detect contour breaches and to avoid contour breaches. A high-energy beam is moved along a contour on a surface of the solid body, with the surface of the solid body facing the high-energy beam, to produce with the high-energy beam a cutting gap. The contour on the surface is compared with the defined contour stored in the control unit, and avoidance of the contour breach is automatically deactivated when the contour on the surface of the solid body matches the defined contour and a contour breach is detected. Otherwise, the contour is omitted. Advantageously, the high-energy beam travels along the contour with an averaged line movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen SE + Co. KG
    Inventors: Aleksandra Schermann, Ralf Spielmann, Michael Krutzke
  • Publication number: 20230244213
    Abstract: In a method for operating an at least two-axle machine tool, a geometric description of a path is specified, and according to the path, an advancing movement is carried out by simultaneously moving at least in one section a first axle and a second axle. A first maximum value for a first kinematic parameter relating to the advancing movement along the section of the path is defined by a control unit based on the geometric description. The advancing movement along the section is planned by the control unit by taking the first maximum value into consideration, and the axles are actuated so as to carry out the advancing movement according to the planned movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Loay Alkafafi, TOBIAS KREILOS, RALF SPIELMANN
  • Patent number: 11507061
    Abstract: A numerically controlled machine tool has at least one movement axis and is connected to a numerical controller which includes a parts program. Movements of each movement axis are limited by maximum permissible axis dynamics. The parts program has a sequence of instructions for machining a workpiece which specify different maximum desired speeds for the machining of the workpiece which change abruptly over time. The numerical controller approximates the different maximum desired speeds which change abruptly over time with a desired speed profile that is continuous over time and has a profile of the maximum desired speeds which is also continuous over time. The numerical controller uses the continuous desired speed profile to calculate the desired values of an actual movement profile of the movements for each movement axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, Ralf Spielmann
  • Publication number: 20220137587
    Abstract: A method for operating a numerically controlled production machine includes defining a permissible value range determined by the design and construction of the production machine in which, in a normal operation during production of a workpiece, values representing a mechanical or electrical load described by acceleration and/or jolting of at least one component of the numerically controlled production machine are variable, and activating, for producing the workpiece, with a control signal a conservation operation for reducing the mechanical or electrical loads, wherein in the conservation operation the values of acceleration and/or jolting of the at least one component are variable within a part value range that is limited in comparison to the permissible value range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, RALF SPIELMANN
  • Publication number: 20210365001
    Abstract: A system program monitors a numerical controller executing a useful program controlling a machine. The numerical controller determines target values for position-controlled axes and controls the position-controlled axes in accordance with the target values. The numerical controller stores resources and determines whether, and optionally to which extent, the resources are enabled or disabled. Enabling or disabling the resources specifies how many processor cores are enabled for use, or how many processor threads are enabled for use, or to what extent a processor cache or a processor main memory are enabled for use, or which hardware components of the numerical controller are enabled for use, or to what extent use of external computing power is permitted. The numerical controller determines the target values for the position-controlled axes using only the enabled resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen BRETSCHNEIDER, RALF SPIELMANN, PHILIPPE STELLWAG
  • Patent number: 11086291
    Abstract: A numerically controlled production system is connected to a numerical controller, which includes a control program with successive program sets, and a look-ahead module which determines therefrom for successive clock-cycle points a movement profile with guidance variables for a movement axis prior to a movement. Subject to a condition, the control program includes program branching with multiple alternative control program sections, and determines which of the alternative control program sections is to be additionally executed subject to the condition. The look-ahead module calculates and stores an alternative movement profile for each alternative control program section prior to an additional movement, and holds the alternative movement profile available for the conditional program branching in order to carry out the additional movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, Ralf Spielmann
  • Patent number: 11003158
    Abstract: In a method for 3D radius correction in CNC milling, a mill path of an original milling tool producing a surface contour on a workpiece is calculated for an original milling tool based on dimensions of the mill cutter tip, with the positions of the mill cutter tip specified by an NC program. A surface normal of an end face milling surface and a surface normal of a circumferential milling surface are then specified, for each position of the mill cutter tip taking into account dimensional differences between an actually available milling tool and the original milling tool. By specifying along the mill path a spatial orientation of the milling tool axis, a correction vector is specified from the milling tool orientation, dimensional differences and the surface normals, and the workpiece is machined by traversing the mill path with the actual milling tool under consideration of the correction vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Aleksandra Schermann, Ralf Spielmann
  • Patent number: 10877457
    Abstract: A control device, a machine (tool) having the control device, a method for providing a travel profile and a computer program for providing the travel profile, wherein a reference line is generated, e.g., from a CAD drawing, to provide a travel profile for a tool, where approximation curves are created from the reference line using wavelet base functions, transformation curves are formed from the approximation curves via difference generation, and these are each adapted to a desired accuracy of the processing mode via modification, where modification curves are created via the modification of the transformation curves, where the travel profile is the sum of the modification curves, and where drive elements of the machine tool are controlled based on the travel profile such that the travel profile can be optimized via the selection of wavelet base functions, based on a processing mode, e.g. rough milling, fine milling, laser cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, Ralf Spielmann
  • Publication number: 20200363788
    Abstract: A numerically controlled machine tool has at least one movement axis and is connected to a numerical controller which includes a parts program. Movements of each movement axis are limited by maximum permissible axis dynamics. The parts program has a sequence of instructions for machining a workpiece which specify different maximum desired speeds for the machining of the workpiece which change abruptly over time. The numerical controller approximates the different maximum desired speeds which change abruptly over time with a desired speed profile that is continuous over time and has a profile of the maximum desired speeds which is also continuous over time. The numerical controller uses the continuous desired speed profile to calculate the desired values of an actual movement profile of the movements for each movement axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, RALF SPIELMANN
  • Publication number: 20200341448
    Abstract: A numerically controlled production system is connected to a numerical controller, which includes a control program with successive program sets, and a look-ahead module which determines therefrom for successive clock-cycle points a movement profile with guidance variables for a movement axis prior to a movement. Subject to a condition, the control program includes program branching with multiple alternative control program sections, and determines which of the alternative control program sections is to be additionally executed subject to the condition. The look-ahead module calculates and stores an alternative movement profile for each alternative control program section prior to an additional movement, and holds the alternative movement profile available for the conditional program branching in order to carry out the additional movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: THOMAS PITZ, RALF SPIELMANN
  • Publication number: 20200125063
    Abstract: In a method for 3D radius correction in CNC milling, a mill path of an original milling tool producing a surface contour on a workpiece is calculated for an original milling tool based on dimensions of the mill cutter tip, with the positions of the mill cutter tip specified by an NC program. A surface normal of an end face milling surface and a surface normal of a circumferential milling surface are then specified, for each position of the mill cutter tip taking into account dimensional differences between an actually available milling tool and the original milling tool. By specifying along the mill path a spatial orientation of the milling tool axis, a correction vector is specified from the milling tool orientation, dimensional differences and the surface normals, and the workpiece is machined by traversing the mill path with the actual milling tool under consideration of the correction vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Aleksandra Schermann, Ralf Spielmann
  • Publication number: 20200086419
    Abstract: In a method for severing a solid body, a defined contour is stored in a control unit configured to detect contour breaches and to avoid contour breaches. A high-energy beam is moved along a contour on a surface of the solid body, with the surface of the solid body facing the high-energy beam, to produce with the high-energy beam a cutting gap. The contour on the surface is compared with the defined contour stored in the control unit, and avoidance of the contour breach is automatically deactivated when the contour on the surface of the solid body matches the defined contour and a contour breach is detected. Otherwise, the contour is omitted. Advantageously, the high-energy beam travels along the contour with an averaged line movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: ALEKSANDRA SCHERMANN, RALF SPIELMANN
  • Patent number: 10558193
    Abstract: To optimize an automatically optimized machining time for machining a workpiece in a machine tool, an original parts program is loaded into a machine tool controller. The machining of the workpiece using the original parts program is simulated, where a motion path generated by the original parts program in the machine tool is determined. The motion path is classified into at least one area of potential optimization in which there is no workpiece contact. The at least one area of potential optimization is assigned a tolerance space. An optimized motion path is determined within the tolerance space. The machining of the workpiece using the modified parts program is simulated. The optimized motion path is displayed and marked. Once a user has approved the modification in the parts program, machining of the workpiece takes place using the modified parts program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, Ralf Spielmann
  • Patent number: 10466680
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (100) for orientation of a workpiece (20) to be processed, comprising the steps of: a) providing a processing path (27) fixed on the workpiece for processing the workpiece (20); b) selecting a rigid transformation (30) of the positioning of the workpiece (20); c) simulating the processing path (27) taking account of the rigid transformation (30) of the positioning of the workpiece (20); d) determining at least one process variable (40) of the machining of the workpiece (20); wherein the steps b) to d) are repeated by modifying the at least one rigid transformation (30) of the positioning of the workpiece (20) until the at least one process variable (40) reaches a target value (43).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, Ralf Spielmann
  • Patent number: 10459427
    Abstract: A subroutine executable by the numeric controller to control a production machine is disclosed. A user selects at least one program instruction of the subroutine and the numeric controller outputs a parameterized description of the selected program instruction or of a sequence of program instructions that contains the selected program instruction to the user using the user interface. The user enters a change in the parameterized description and stores a modified subroutine that corresponds to the changed parameterized description. The numeric controller sends a message to a predetermined address identifying. the original subroutine and the change made in a form that can be evaluated in automated fashion. The CAM system that generated the subroutine uses the message to independently and automatically ascertain a data record on which the original subroutine is based and to modify the data record accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Christof Sinn, Ralf Spielmann
  • Patent number: 10095219
    Abstract: A sub-program carried out by a numerical control unit that controls a production machine is disclosed. The numerical control unit transmits a piece of information identifying a program instruction, by means of which the sub-program was generated to a CAM system after the instruction is selected by a user through an operator interface. The numerical control unit receives, a parameterized description of the sequence of program instructions containing the selected program instruction from the CAM system. The numerical control unit outputs the parameterized description to the user via the operator interface and receives a modification of the parameterized description from the user. The numerical control unit then transmits the modified parameterized description to the CAM system and receives a modified sub-program corresponding to the modified parameterized description from the CAM system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christof Sinn, Ralf Spielmann
  • Publication number: 20180246490
    Abstract: A control device, a machine (tool) having the control device, a method for providing a travel profile and a computer program for providing the travel profile, wherein a reference line is generated, e.g., from a CAD drawing, to provide a travel profile for a tool, where approximation curves are created from the reference line using wavelet base functions, transformation curves are formed from the approximation curves via difference generation, and these are each adapted to a desired accuracy of the processing mode via modification, where modification curves are created via the modification of the transformation curves, where the travel profile is the sum of the modification curves, and where drive elements of the machine tool are controlled based on the travel profile such that the travel profile can be optimized via the selection of wavelet base functions, based on a processing mode, e.g. rough milling, fine milling, laser cutting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas PITZ, Ralf SPIELMANN
  • Publication number: 20180224828
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (100) for orientation of a workpiece (20) to be processed, comprising the steps of: a) providing a processing path (27) fixed on the workpiece for processing the workpiece (20); b) selecting a rigid transformation (30) of the positioning of the workpiece (20); c) simulating the processing path (27) taking account of the rigid transformation (30) of the positioning of the workpiece (20); d) determining at least one process variable (40) of the machining of the workpiece (20); wherein the steps b) to d) are repeated by modifying the at least one rigid transformation (30) of the positioning of the workpiece (20) until the at least one process variable (40) reaches a target value (43).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Pitz, RALF SPIELMANN