Abstract: A structural member for a machine tool is formed of a nonmetallic substance, e.g. cement, concrete cement or ceramic, having discrete solid objects, e.g. fibers, filaments, chips, fragments and/or particles, of a metal, carbon, ceramic, cermet and/or plastic dispersively distributed therein as reinforcing elements. Metallic frames may be embedded in the nonmetallic substrate to form a skeleton for the member.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for the electrical machining of a conductive workpiece with an axially traveling wire-form electrode displaced transversely to the workpiece along a predetermined cutting path. A high-frequency mechanical vibration is imparted to the wire-form electrode and its amplitude is controlled as a function of the shape of the wire-cutting path.

Abstract: An improved method of and power-supply system for EDM whereby machining pulses of on-time in the order of 10 to 100 nanoseconds are passed through an EDM gap to assure ultra-fine finish EDM results by using the gap current build-up characteristic resulting from each individual machining pulse and thereby timing the termination thereof to compensate for a delay caused by the inherent presence of a stray impedance in the gap power circuit lines. The machining pulses can be in the form of successive, intermittently interrupted trains of elementary pulses of which on-time is defined at a minimum which provides a minimum unit of stock removal by each pulse.

Abstract: An improved method of and arrangement for threading a wire electrode through a workpiece in a wire-cutting electroerosion machine having a continuous wire electrode axially transported from a supply means to a collection means along a predetermined wire guiding path; a pair of machining guide members disposed at opposite sides of the workpiece in the path for spanning the axially running wire electrode straightforwards thereacross through the workpiece and cutting feed means for displacing the workpiece relative to the axially running wire electrode transversely to the axis thereof along a prescribed feed path to form a desired electroerosion cut in the workpiece.

Abstract: An EMD method and apparatus, especially for a cavity-sinking type of machining, wherein a combination of magnetic fluxes and ultrasonic waves is applied externally to the region of a machining recess being progressively formed in a workpiece electrode juxtaposed with a tool electrode while the electrodes are displaced relative to one another and a succession of machining electrical pulses are applied across a dielectric flooded machining gap provided therebetween.

Abstract: A workpiece cutting apparatus in which an elongated wire or band tool spans a pair of guides and is continuously advanced relative to the workpiece by a first drive system but is reciprocated in the region of the workpiece by a second drive system at higher speed than the rate of continuous advance. This is permitted by storage devices between each guide and the first drive. The tool can carry out electrical machining and/or abrasive cutting using an abrasive bonded to the tool or in a machining fluid introduced into the cutting region.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for controlling electric discharge machining processes in which machining pulses are applied across a machining gap with a pulse duration and peak current preselected to attain a predetermined machining consequence or result. At least one monitoring pulse is interposed in the succession of machining pulses and is time-spaced from and totally independent of the machining pulses while being dimensioned to give rise to a current pulse in the machining gap. The current pulse is measured as to at least one characteristic and the gap condition is determined in response to this measurement. spCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONThis application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 860,164 filed Dec. 13, 1977 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,057).

Abstract: A microprocessor-controlled drive control system for a motor includes a driver circuit for the motor, a signal input unit for receiving an input command signal representing a desired extent of angular displacement of the motor, a microcomputer having an input/output interface connected between the signal input unit and the driver circuit and a central processing unit (CPU) for producing a control command signal in accordance with the input command signal and applying the control command signal to the driver circuit, thereby providing from the latter a drive signal for the motor in accordance with the control command signal, an encoder for sensing an angular displacement of the motor brought about by the drive signal and producing a succession of pulses representing the angular displacement being sensed, logic-circuit means connected between the encoder and the interface for applying to the central processing unit a feed-back signal at least in part derived from the encoder output pulses to modify the control

Abstract: An electrical discharge machining (EDM) apparatus is rendered capable of finishing machined workpiece surfaces by mounting an abrasive tool assembly on an electrode tool head juxtaposed with the machined workpiece as it is positioned fixedly on an EDM workpiece support. The tool assembly comprises a tool, a drive motor detachably attached to the tool holder and a coupling shank, the tool having a plurality of elongate pieces fixedly mounted on the shank so as to individually project axially therefrom and extending so as to collectively form a forwardly converging body of revolution rotatable about the axis of the shank, the generatrix of the body under revolution serving as an abrading surface. The EDM servo system may be used to sweep the machined surface with the tool body.

Abstract: The workpiece is partially immersed in a first electroerosion-machining liquid so that the surface of the liquid is positioned at a predetermined height from the lower surface of the workpiece. A wire electrode is passed vertically through the workpiece to define a machining gap therebetween which extends across the entire thickness of the workpiece including an upper portion and a lower portion divided from each other by the liquid surface of the first electroerosion-machining liquid. A second electroerosion-machining liquid having a specific resistivity greater than that of the first is supplied from above the workpiece into the machining gap along the upper portion and then allowed to diffuse into the machining gap along the lower portion. Electroerosive material removal from the workpiece occurs along the upper portion uniformly at a first rate and along the lower portion at a varying second rate which is not less than the first rate and which increases as the distance from the liquid level is increased.

Abstract: A method of making a hard or semihard magnetic alloy which involves initially forming a body of a spinodally decomposable alloy composition of iron-chromium-cobalt base by casting an admixture of 3 to 30% by weight cobalt, 10 to 40% by weight chromium, 0.1 to 15% by weight vanadium and the balance iron. The body is then solution treated at an elevated temperature and for a period sufficient to produce a homogeneous single .alpha.-phase structure in the body and the solution-treated body is tempered at a reduced temperature and for a time period sufficient to spinodally decompose therein the single .alpha.-phase structure into a composition-modulated, phase-separated structure consisting of an .alpha..sub.1 phase which is magnetic and an .alpha..sub.2 phase which is nonmagnetic, said phase-separated structure forming the magnetic alloy.

Abstract: A technique for accurately determining the size of a machining gap and a specific resistivity thereof in a machine tool, especially an electroerosion machine tool (e.g. EDM machine), measures the electrical resistance between a tool member and a workpiece in a given relative position to give a first measurement value. The tool member and the workpiece are then relatively displaced by a known distance from the given relative position to establish a shifted relative position and the electrical resistance therebetween is measured to give a second measurement value. The calculation from the first and second measurement values yields one of the given and shifted relative position and the specific resistivity of the gap.

Abstract: Electrical discharge machining with a tool electrode juxtaposed with a workpiece electrode to form a machining gap therebetween in the presence of a machining liquid and wherein a succession of electrical pulses are applied between the tool and workpiece electrodes to produce successive electrical discharges across the machining gap, thereby electroerosively removing material from the workpiece. As material removal proceeds the tool and workpiece electrodes are advanced relatively towards one another in a predetermined feed direction to form a cavity in the workpiece electrode. A magnetic field is applied to the machining gap over a preselected localized area of juxtaposition between the tool and workpiece electrodes; the field is displaced progressively over the entire region of juxtaposition.

Abstract: An electrodeposition method and apparatus, particularly suitable for electrodeposition of a substrate of large area and intricate contour, uses an electrode having a small electrode area adapted to be spacedly juxtaposed with a portion of the substrate to define a small electrodeposition gap flushed with a stream of liquid electrolyte. High-frequency and small mechanical vibrations are imparted to the electrode while an electrodeposition current, preferably in the form of pulses, is passed between the electrode and the workpiece, which are relatively displaced by a drive unit to cause the electrode area to sweep three-dimensionally over a selected surface area of the substrate, thereby forming a layer of the electrodeposition thereon of a desired uniform thickness with an increased rate. The electrode is preferably constituted as an electrode assembly comprising an electromechanical transducer, a horn and the electrode attached in sequence.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for electroerosively machining a 3D cavity in a workpiece using a slender tool electrode, e.g. in the form of a wire or thin rod, which is generally independent of desired cavity in shape and axially juxtaposed with the workpiece to define a liquid-flooded machining gap therebetween. The slender tool electrode and the workpiece are relatively displaced three-dimensionally along mutually orthogonal three independent axes so that the slender tool electrode moves in a scanning manner over the workpiece surface while an ultrasonic vibration is imparted to the scanning slender tool electrode. A machining wear of the electrode is sensed in response preferably to the vibration signal and the wear-compensation feed is effected to axially advance the slender electrode independently of the three-dimensional cavity-forming movement to the tool electrode and the workpiece.

Abstract: A guide body for constituting at least one of a pair of guide members for a continuous wire electrode in a wire-cutting electroerosion machine comprises a first segment formed with a continuous and elongated wire-receiving groove having a first portion which is rectilinear and proximate to the wire-cutting zone and a second portion which is arcuate and remote from the wire-cutting zone, the groove being V-shaped in cross-section continuously over the first rectilinear and second arcuate portions and thereby defining a pair of continuous and elongated wire-bearing surfaces joining with an angle to form the V-shape in cross-section; and a second segment coupled to the first segment for holding the wire electrode traveling in the first portion of the groove in a bearing contact with the said surfaces in the first segment.

Abstract: An electroerosion machining method and apparatus with a continuous, traveling-wire electrode in which vibrations of frequencies not lower than 100 Hz, preferably at least 1 kHz and of an amplitude of 1 to 50 microns (.mu.m), preferably of at most 5 .mu.m are applied to the traveling wire electrode at opposite sides with respect to the machining region of an electrically conductive workpiece. The method may be used advantageously in reforming a workpiece contour previously shaped by a traveling-wire rough-EDM operation. A resonant circuit connected in series or in parallel with the machining gap and optionally coupled with an external oscillator may be used to energize electromechanical transducers forming vibrator means.

Abstract: EDM method and apparatus in which the electrical discharge machining pulses are produced by the application across the machining gap of a succession of time-spaced trains A of discrete elementary pulses a having an on-time .tau.on and off-time .tau.off, the trains having a duration Ton and an interval Toff. In a machining process, upon occurrence of an arcing, short-circuiting or excessive gap contamination condition, either of the off-time .tau.off or the cut-off interval Toff is increased. When the one controlled time .tau.off or Toff is increased to be greater than a predetermined value, the other, Toff or .tau.off, is decreased generally inversely proportionally to the increased .tau.off or Toff. When .tau.off or Toff is decreased to be smaller than a predetermined level, Toff or .tau.off are increased. Preferably, the sum of total off-times .tau.

Abstract: A workpiece of a non-planar, curved or intricate surface contour carried on a horizontal table is wire-machined with a vertical swivel head for traveling-wire tool by sensing an imaginary plane which is tangent to the surface contour at any point thereon to be successively substantially intersected by the axis of the traveling-wire tool; and tilting the head to cause the axis of the traveling-wire tool transversing the workpiece to be oriented at a predetermined angle, preferably 90.degree., relative to the said plane substantially at the said point so as to maintain substantially the predetermined orientation of the traveling-wire tool relative to the surface contour, irrespective of change in the inclination of the tangential plane relative to the horizontal plane from point to point, throughout a substantial portion of the entire machining operation.

Abstract: An EDM method and apparatus for supplying successive trains of discrete elementary machining pulses to an EDM gap wherein a high-frequency AC power generally of the frequency of the discrete elementary machining pulses is generated in a high-frequency generating unit disposed remote from the machining gap. The power is transmitted directly in the unrectified AC form along a feeder cable to the proximity of the machining gap whereat a switching rectifier is provided connected to a tool electrode and workpiece across the machining gap via respective conductors of a minimum length. The rectifier operates to cyclically interrupt the transmitted high-frequency AC while concurrently rectifying same, thereby providing successive trains of the discrete elementary machining pulses for direct application across the EDM gap.