Abstract: A numerical controller controls a three-axis machine tool that machines a workpiece, mounted on a table, with at least three linear axes. The numerical controller includes a workpiece mounting error compensation unit that compensates a mounting error caused when the workpiece is mounted. The workpiece mounting error compensation unit performs an error compensation with respect to an instructed linear-axis position with amounting error which is set beforehand, in order to keep a position with respect to the workpiece at a tool center point position, based on the instructed linear-axis position of the three linear axes to obtain a compensated linear-axis position. The three linear axes are driven based on the obtained compensated linear-axis position.

Abstract: A numerical controller for controlling a multi-axis machine calculates an axis-dependent translation error amount and an axis-dependent rotation error amount based on a command axis position. Translation and rotation compensation amounts are calculated based on the axis dependent translation and rotation error amounts, respectively. The translation and rotation compensation amounts are added to command linear and rotary axis positions, respectively. Three linear axes and three rotary axes are driven to the added positions, individually. Thus, there is provided a numerical controller that enables even machining with a side face of a tool or boring to be in commanded tool position and posture (orientation) in the multi-axis machine.

Abstract: A numerical controller for controlling a multi-axis machine tool having three linear axes and three rotating axes obtains an interpolated tool direction vector by interpolating a tool direction command and computes multiple solutions for three rotating axes from the vector. The three rotating axis positions are computed by synthesizing these multiple solutions. The three linear axis positions on a machine coordinate system are computed by adding to the interpolated tool center point position the product of the interpolated tool direction vector, or a verified tool direction vector based on the three rotating axis positions determined by the rotating axis position computing means, and a tool length compensation amount. The three rotating axes are moved to the positions computed above and the three linear axes are moved to the positions computed above.

Abstract: A numerical controller controlling a 5-axis machine tool compensates setting error that arises when a workpiece is set on the table. Error in the three linear axes and the two rotation axes are compensated using preset error amounts to keep the calculated tool position and tool direction in a command coordinate system. If a trigonometric function used for error compensation has a plurality of solution sets, the solution set closest to the tool direction in the command coordinate system is selected from the plurality of solution sets and used as the positions of the two rotation axes compensated in the above error compensation.

Abstract: A five-axis machining tool that machines a workpiece mounted on a table using three linear axes and two rotary axes is controlled by a numerical controller. The numerical controller calculates a translational compensation amount and a rotational compensation amount by obtaining axis-dependent translational compensation amounts and axis-dependent rotational compensation amounts on the basis of commanded axis positions. Then, the numerical controller moves the three linear axes and the two rotary axes of the five-axis machining tool to positions obtained by adding the translational compensation amount and the rotational compensation amount thus calculated to a command linear axis position and a command rotary axis position, respectively.

Abstract: A numerical controller capable of moving a tool end point position to an accurate position in a five-axis machining apparatus. Compensation amounts are set, which correspond to respective ones of a linear axis-dependent translational error, a rotary axis-dependent translational error, a linear axis-dependent rotational error, and a rotary axis-dependent rotational error, which are produced in the five-axis machining apparatus. A translational/rotational compensation amount ?3D is determined from these compensation amounts and added to a command linear axis position Pm. As the compensation amounts, there is used a corresponding one of six-dimensional lattice point compensation vectors, which are determined in advance as errors due to the use of a mechanical system and measured at lattice points of lattices into which the entire machine movable region is divided.

Abstract: If the angle ? formed between the interpolated cutting surface perpendicular direction vector (It, Jt, Kt) and the interpolated tool direction vector (Ttx, Tty, Ttz) becomes smaller, movement of a tool becomes unstable. In this case, the tool diameter compensation vector (TCx, TCy, TCz) is set to the tool diameter compensation vector calculated in the immediately previous interpolation cycle, thereby preventing unstable movement. Further, in case of a block instruction where a distance between positions in cutting point instructions is large whereas distance of movement of linear axis control point is small, an excessive cutting may occur. To deal with this problem, movement of linear axis control point in a current block is stopped or converted into linear movement so as to prevent a loop-shaped movement of the linear axis control point.

Abstract: A numerical controller for controlling a five-axis processing machine including three linear axes and two rotational axes for machining a workpiece attached onto a table thins out a command of a moving path of any one of the linear axes and a command of a tool direction if both of the change amount of a tool direction and the change amount of a linear axis in the command of the moving path are smaller than preset values, respectively.

Abstract: A numerical controller for controlling a five-axis machining apparatus, in which a tool orientation command is corrected to thereby attain a smooth machined surface and a shortened machining time. The numerical controller includes command reading means that successively reads a tool orientation command, tool orientation command correcting means that corrects the tool orientation command so that a ratio between each rotary axis motion amount and a linear axis motion amount is constant in each block, interpolation means that determines respective axis positions at every interpolation period based on the tool orientation command corrected by the tool orientation command correcting means, a motion path command, and a relative motion velocity command such that a tool end point moves along a commanded motion path at a commanded relative motion velocity, and means that drives respective axis motors such that respective axis positions determined by the interpolation means are reached.

Abstract: A numerical controller capable of moving a tool end point position to an accurate position in a five-axis machining apparatus. Compensation amounts are set, which correspond to respective ones of a linear axis-dependent translational error, a rotary axis-dependent translational error, a linear axis-dependent rotational error, and a rotary axis-dependent rotational error, which are produced in the five-axis machining apparatus. A translational/rotational compensation amount ?3D is determined from these compensation amounts and added to a command linear axis position Pm. As the compensation amounts, there is used a corresponding one of six-dimensional lattice point compensation vectors, which are determined in advance as errors due to the use of a mechanical system and measured at lattice points of lattices into which the entire machine movable region is divided.

Abstract: A numerical controller controlling a 5-axis machine tool compensates setting error that arises when a workpiece is set on the table. Error in the three linear axes and the two rotation axes are compensated using preset error amounts to keep the calculated tool position and tool direction in a command coordinate system. If a trigonometric function used for error compensation has a plurality of solution sets, the solution set closest to the tool direction in the command coordinate system is selected from the plurality of solution sets and used as the positions of the two rotation axes compensated in the above error compensation.

Abstract: If the angle ? formed between the interpolated cutting surface perpendicular direction vector (It, Jt, Kt) and the interpolated tool direction vector (Ttx, Tty, Ttz) becomes smaller, movement of a tool becomes unstable. In this case, the tool diameter compensation vector (TCx, TCy, TCz) is set to the tool diameter compensation vector calculated in the immediately previous interpolation cycle, thereby preventing unstable movement. Further, in case of a block instruction where a distance between positions in cutting point instructions is large whereas distance of movement of linear axis control point is small, an excessive cutting may occur. To deal with this problem, movement of linear axis control point in a current block is stopped or converted into linear movement so as to prevent a loop-shaped movement of the linear axis control point.

Abstract: A numerical controller configured to enable machining of a conical surface such that vectors at a start point, an end point, and an interpolation point of a circular arc and their extensions never cross one another. Normal direction vectors Vnors and Vnore, tangential direction vectors Vtans and Vtane, and tool posture vectors Vts and Vte at the starting and end points are obtained based on programmed positions PA? and PB? of the starting and end points, a circle center position, and rotational positions of two rotary axes. Based on these vectors, tangential direction angles as and ae and the normal direction angles bs and be with respect to tool postures at the starting and end points are obtained. Normal and tangential direction vectors Vnori and Vtani and angles ai and bi at the interpolation point are obtained by interpolating the normal and tangential direction vectors and angles at the starting and end points, whereby a tool posture vector Vti at the interpolation point is obtained.

Abstract: A numerical controller configured to enable machining of a conical surface such that vectors at a start point, an end point, and an interpolation point of a circular arc and their extensions never cross one another. Normal direction vectors Vnors and Vnore, tangential direction vectors Vtans and Vtane, and tool posture vectors Vts and Vte at the starting and end points are obtained based on programmed positions PA? and PB? of the starting and end points, a circle center position, and rotational positions of two rotary axes. Based on these vectors, tangential direction angles as and ae and the normal direction angles bs and be with respect to tool postures at the starting and end points are obtained. Normal and tangential direction vectors Vnori and Vtani and angles ai and bi at the interpolation point are obtained by interpolating the normal and tangential direction vectors and angles at the starting and end points, whereby a tool posture vector Vti at the interpolation point is obtained.

Abstract: A machine has a tool head which rotates on a C-axis (about the Z-axis) and an A-axis (about the X-axis). A tool length vector is multiplied by a matrix whereby a misalignment component ?s-H and the incline error (?s-H, ?s-H, ?s-H) of a spindle are corrected so that the tool length vector due to the misalignment of the spindle is obtained. The vector thus obtained is further multiplied by a transformation matrix that includes a rotation instruction ? for the A-axis and misalignments of the A-axis ?a-H (?a-H, ?a-H, ?a-H) to correct the misalignment of the A-axis so that the tool length vector as found when the A-axis has rotated by an equivalent of instruction ? is determined.

Abstract: A method of generating a smooth curve to perform interpolation from a commanded sequence of points by a numerical controller for a multi-axis machine tool having three linear axes and two or more rotary axes. Corrected command points are obtained for linear axes and for rotary axes. Components of corrected command points for linear axes and corrected command points for rotary axes are synthesized with each other so as to obtain a synthesized corrected command point. A curve passing through the synthesized corrected command points is generated to perform interpolation. As a result, a more appropriate curve interpolation method for a multi-axis machine tool having two or more rotary axes can be performed.

Abstract: A work is installed on a table of a machine tool, and the coordinate system on the work is (X?, Y?, Z?). Each three points on respective three faces of the work, which are orthogonal to one another, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I, are detected with a touch probe. From three points on the same plane, each of three formulas of planes which lies on the three points, respectively, are obtained. A position O? (XO, YO, ZO) of a point where the three plane intersect with one another is obtained. This position is a parallel translation error. From these three plane formulas, points on the X?, Y? and Z? axes each being distant from the position O? by the length L are obtained. Rotation matrices are obtained from the respective points, position O? (XO, YO, ZO), and L. Rotary direction errors are obtained using the rotation matrices. In this manner, a work location error which is composed of the three-dimensional parallel translation error and three-dimensional rotary direction errors is obtained.

Abstract: The shapes of machine parts for which the possibility of interference exists are defined as rectangular parallelepipeds and it is judged whether or not there is interference between a first rectangular parallelepiped of a first machine part and a second rectangular parallelepiped of a second machine part. The method involves rotating the first rectangular parallelepiped and second rectangular parallelepiped so that each side of the first rectangular parallelepiped lies parallel to each axis of the reference coordinate system. Interference is thus judged based on whether any vertex of the second rectangular parallelepiped exists within the first rectangular parallelepiped. Likewise, interference is judged depending on whether any vertex of the first rectangular parallelepiped exists within the second rectangular parallelepiped.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of generating a smooth curve from a commanded sequence of points by a numerical controller for a multi-axis machine tool having three linear axes and two or more rotary axes to perform interpolation along the curve. Corrected command points are obtained for linear axes and for rotary axes, respectively. Components of corrected command points for linear axes and corrected command points for rotary axes are synthesized with each other so as to obtain a synthesized corrected command point. And a curve passing through the synthesized corrected command points is generated to perform interpolation. As a result, curve interpolation which is more appropriate than that in a multi-axis machine tool having two or more rotary axes can be performed.

Abstract: A work is installed on a table of a machine tool, and the coordinate system on the work is (X?, Y?, Z?). Each three points on respective three faces of the work, which are orthogonal to one another, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I, are detected with a touch probe. From three points on the same plane, each of three formulas of planes which lies on the three points, respectively, are obtained. A position O? (XO, YO, ZO) of a point where the three plane intersect with one another is obtained. This position is a parallel translation error. From these three plane formulas, points on the X?, Y? and Z? axes each being distant from the position O? by the length L are obtained. Rotation matrices are obtained from the respective points, position O? (XO, YO, ZO), and L. Rotary direction errors are obtained using the rotation matrices. In this manner, a work location error which is composed of the three-dimensional parallel translation error and three-dimensional rotary direction errors is obtained.