Abstract: A numerical control system performs path interpolation calculations for the control of highly dynamic processes having different path contour geometries wherein a vector having a length L connects in linear form a first point P1 to a second point P2. These points are located in three dimensional Cartesian space having axes x, y, and z. Length L has Cartesian components X, Y and Z and is subject to an angular rotation C about the z axis. The system also has process parameters S and K wherein S is an address identifying the parameter to be modified and K identifies the modified parameter value. A coarse interpolator outputs the path elements L, X, Y, Z and C and the parameters S and K between path increments as course interpolations which are a function of the path contour geometry but are independent of time frame. A fine interpolator having an intermediate memory is connected downstream from the course interpolator. The fine interpolator outputs the path elements and parameters as fine interpolations.
Abstract: A current supply device for movable electrodes of spark erosion machines comprises a plurality of individual contacts and includes in leads connecting the contacts with a current generator, electrical components in the form of pulse transformers for a pairwise negative feedback of partial currents or additional impedances stepped according to a mathematical series for uniform current distribution over the individual contacts. The current supply device is particularly suitable for the current transmission of high energy short pulses, such as are used for an erosive wire cutting. The current supply device operates in an almost wear-free manner and can also fulfill the function of guide for the electrode.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 15, 1989
Date of Patent:
February 13, 1990
Assignee:
Ag fur Elektronik Industrielle, AGIE
Inventors:
Ernst Buhler, Peter Wehrli, Massimo Martignoni, Mauro Erba
Abstract: A servocontrol device for controlling a distance between an erosion electrode and a workpiece in an erosion machine calculates an error signal from an actual distance between the erosion electrode and the workpiece and a desired distance. The error signal undergoes low pass filtering, before it is used as a control signal for a drive connected to the erosion electrode to drive the latter. For optimizing the dynamic characteristics, the servocontrol device has a variable cutoff frequency, which is dependent on at least one parameter of a processing pulse supplied to the erosion electrode.
Abstract: An apparatus for filtering a machining liquid of an electroerosion machine includes a pump for supplying the machining liquid to a filter having a membrane. The filter is constructed in such a way that the concentrate is carried substantially tangentially to the membrane wall in a circuit, and the concentrate quantity per time unit carried substantially tangentially to the filter membrane wall in the circuit is greater than the permeate quantity per time unit removed from the filter.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 20, 1988
Date of Patent:
August 22, 1989
Assignee:
AG Fur Industrielle Elektronik Agie
Inventors:
Gideon Levy, Josef Budin, Benjamin Moergeli
Abstract: An electroerosion process and apparatus are used to produce crude electrodes which are shaped thereafter into finished form by wire cutting erosion. The finished electrodes are used in subsequent countersinking of workpieces by electroerosion.
Abstract: In the electroerosive working or machining of electrically slight or non-conducting workpieces, the workpieces are made electrically conductive, at least in parts of an electroerosion working zone, by means of the supply to the workpieces of electromagnetic energy. As a result, the valency band of the atoms of the workpiece is raised, which produces therein the electrical conductivity.
Abstract: Method and apparatus for purging the eroding zone during electroerosive countersinking, in which one or more short-stroke second raising lowering movements of a tool electrode relative to a workpiece are performed in the dielectric between two first long stroke raising/lowering movements and the frequency and/or height of stroke of the raising/lowering movements is automatically adapted to the conditions in the working gap.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 17, 1987
Date of Patent:
April 18, 1989
Assignee:
AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE
Inventors:
Gideon Levy, Claudio Libotte, Marco Boccadoro, Silvano Magginetti
Abstract: An element of a machine is provided with a magnetically or optically readable data medium. The data medium is divided into grooves and sectors. A corresponding scanning head for scanning the data medium is arranged on another element of the machine. The data are coded so that it is possible to identify each sector and each groove on the data medium. After reading the contents of the data medium of the element of the machine by the scanning head of the other element, a value of the measurement of the relative positions of the two elements is affected to the data read by the head. This value may be used to control the position of the elements or to displace one of the elements relative to the other. The data medium may be linear or may be configured as a disc. The scanning head may be secured to the associated element. It may also be attached by means of a mechanism so as to have a relative motion with respect to the data medium even when the elements are stationary with respect to each other.
Abstract: A wire guidance arrangement for guiding a wire electrode of a spark erosion machine has several replaceable wire guides, which are mutually spaced to thereby form individual erosion zones. The individual wire guides are held by spring tension in corresponding openings of a guide plate, which rest on a base block. The common plane of the guide plate and the base block forms a reference plane on which are axially centered the undersides of wire guidance members of the individual wire guides. Even in the case of a greater wire electrode fixing length, this always ensures a satisfactory guidance of the wire electrode. In addition, the individual wire guides can be simply replaced without any adjustment being necessary.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 5, 1986
Date of Patent:
October 18, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur Industrielle elektronik AGIE Losone
Abstract: The completion of a starting hole produced by spark erosion in a workpiece by use of a starter electrode in an electroerosion machine is automatically detected by a sudden change in a sensed process parameter when the starter electrode has passed through the workpiece.
Abstract: A pulse generator for spark-erosive metal working contains a charge regulator circuit for charging a storage capacitor. A storage capacitor is sinusoidally discharged across a switching device to a spark gap. Charging always occurs in a defined manner independently of the preceding pulses, so that uniform pulses can be generated. The storage capacitor is charged with an energy excess of required for discharge and the energy still remaining after spark discharge is recovered in a d.c. voltage source. The switching device (3) is non-conductive only when the discharge current has substantially decayed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 13, 1987
Date of Patent:
August 23, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone bei Locarno
Abstract: A power supply component for cutting a wire electrode of an electroerosion machine having a core of hard metal and about it a layer of an electrically conductive material, which is softer than the core. Within a relatively short time, when the machine is in use, the wire cuts a notch in the soft layer, the notch acting as a wire guide. As soon as the notch reaches the harder material of the core, the hard metal prevents any further notch deepening.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 31, 1987
Date of Patent:
August 23, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE, Losone b. Locarno
Abstract: An electroerosion process and apparatus are used to produce crude electrodes which are shaped thereafter into finished form by wire cutting erosion. The finished electrodes are used in subsequent countersinking of workpieces by electroerosion.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 11, 1986
Date of Patent:
August 16, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone bei Locarno
Abstract: For the securing and removal of waste fragments from eroded openings of a workpiece on a spark erosion machine, a collecting plate is provided below the workpiece to retain the waste fragments. In the case of an X/Y-movement of the workpieces, the waste fragments move over the top of the collecting plate. A collecting container is arranged on the edge of the collecting plate and the waste fragments drop into it in the case of a corresponding X/Y-movement of the workpiece. According to another variant, a lifting cylinder can be positioned above the workpiece and with a gripper (e.g. a magnet) grips the waste fragments and draws them upwards out of the eroded opening. By moving the lifting cylinder, the waste fragment is then placed on a conveyor belt or can be directly conveyed into the collecting container.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 12, 1986
Date of Patent:
June 21, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
Abstract: Wire cutting apparatus which includes a mechanism for conveying an electrode and cutting device having rotary cutting elements and a tender tool. A post generator is electrically connected to the cutting elements and the counter tool for purposes of supplying power to the spark erosion machine. The cutting elements are electrically insulated with respect to the drive shaft thereof and the service of the counter tool is electrically insulated relative to the mounting support thereof. Additionally, there is provided an electrical connection which constantly forces the rotary cutting elements and the counter tool to the electrical potential of the electrode.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 16, 1986
Date of Patent:
June 14, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno
Abstract: A spark erosion machine having a machine table fixed to the machine upright and on which can be arranged a working container for the dielectric fluid by joining a vertically movable, cross-sectionally C-shaped component to an L-shaped component in longitudinal section. The L-shaped component comprises a fixed vertical wall element forming the rear wall of the working container and the machine table plate, which is detachably connected to the fixed wall element through a seal. The machine table plate is fixable in the reference plane of the machine table by means of rapid fastening and centering devices.
Abstract: An evaluation circuit for use with electronic system which utilizes a plurality of individual transmitters of light, a like plurality of individual receivers of light, and a like plurality of light conducting paths. Each transmitter is connected to its corresponding receiver by a corresponding path so that the light emitted by any transmitter can only impinge upon the corresponding receiver. The light emitted is in the form of pulses. The transmitters are selectively actuated and deactuated in selected format by a multiplexer. The corresponding receivers are synchronized to respond in the same format by a demultiplexer whereby when the system functions properly each receiver will receive and respond only to the light pulse emitted by the corresponding transmitter. In the circuit, a measuring operation is initiated in which each transmitter-receiver pair is individually actuated in a selected sequence.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 20, 1987
Date of Patent:
June 7, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone bi Locarno
Abstract: In the spark erosive cutting of preprogrammed closed contours with the aid of a wire electrode, the electrode is angled in such a way at the end of a closed cutting curve, that a web is left between the workpiece and the fall-off piece. The web only takes up part of the height of cut or the workpiece height. As a result, fault-free surfaces can be obtained along the portion of the cutting curve that is completely cut around the closed contour, at least for a portion of the workpiece height, so that workpieces cut in accordance with this method can be used directly and without reworking.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 14, 1986
Date of Patent:
May 24, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE, Losone b. Locarno
Abstract: To eliminate short-circuits between a countersink electrode and a workpiece during countersink erosion, when a short-circuit occurs, the countersink electrode is initially moved back by a predetermined path length (.delta.) along the previously travelled path from a first locus (P.sub.K) at which the short-circuit occurred to a second locus or intermediate point (P.sub.R) and it is established at that location whether there is still a short-circuit. If this is the case, the countersink electrode is moved in an upwardly sloping manner along a second path (R), which has a first angle (.alpha.) with respect to the working plane (AE) and has a movement component (R.sub.1) having a second angle (.beta.) with respect to a surface normal to the short-circuit or intermediate point (P.sub.K or P.sub.R). All the parameters (.alpha.,.beta.,.delta.,.vertline.R.vertline.) can be freely preselected and are variable during erosion.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 15, 1986
Date of Patent:
March 22, 1988
Assignee:
AG fur Industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone bei Locarno
Abstract: A pulse generator for spark erosive machining of a conductive workpiece, including a d.c. voltage source, a switching element such as a switching transistor connected in circuit with an inductive coil and the work gap across the voltage source, and a high frequency transformer, where one winding of the transformer is connected in parallel with the voltage source and the other winding is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the inductance coil and the work gap. When the switching element is turned on, a machining pulse is applied to the gap; when the switching is turned off, stored energy in the inductance coil is dissipated across the gap and, owing to the transformer connection, generates a recuperation current flowing into the voltage source. The switching element is preferably controlled on the basis of the magnitude of the current flow through the circuit.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 10, 1985
Date of Patent:
December 15, 1987
Assignee:
AG fur industrielle Elektronik AGIE Losone b. Locarno