Abstract: An apparatus for checking the length (H) of a chamfer (7) delimited by a first surface (5) and by an edge (S), comprises two feelers (15, 25)—movably connected to a same supporting frame (20)—and respective transducers (16,26). The transducers supply signals (T1, T2) indicative of displacements of the respective feelers along mutually perpendicular directions (Y, X). A checking method includes moving the supporting frame at a constant speed so that, during the movement, one of the feelers scans the chamfer and the other cooperates with the first surface. The signals of the respective transducers are acquired and transmitted synchronously to a processing unit (40) which processes them together with information on the mutual position of the two feelers to obtain the length of the chamfer.

Abstract: Apparatus (1) for checking the dimensions and/or shape of a complex-shaped body (3), comprising a checking support (5) on which the body to be checked is positioned, a robotic system (8) with an optical assembly (17) and a memory unit (19) for storing reference data relating to a reference shape of the body. A processing and control unit (18) controls movements of the optical assembly so as to obtain dimensional values relating to the body at predetermined measuring points, these dimensional values then being compared with the reference data stored in the memory unit. The apparatus further comprises reference elements (35) defined in the checking support in predetermined positions and a distance sensor (17) for acquiring actual positions of said reference elements. Local compensation parameters for correcting positioning errors of the robotic system are calculated for each of the reference elements on the basis of the predetermined positions and the actual positions acquired.

Abstract: Wireless digital communication method for the communication between two electronic devices (3, 16) of an industrial apparatus (1), including—encoding each bit of information by a respective sequence of a certain number (N) of pulses (25) that alternate with a corresponding number (N?1) of silence intervals (26), each pulse having a pulse duration (TI) shorter than or equal to ns and said silence intervals having respective silence durations (TSj) longer than or equal to 30 ns—transmitting, by a first electronic device, a radio signal (RS) comprising a plurality of radio pulses corresponding to the sequence of pulses without modulating any radio carrier, and—receiving and decoding, by the other electronic device, said radio signal to obtain said bit of information.

Abstract: Thermal camera assembly (1) comprising a thermal imaging detector (3) providing thermographic images and/or recordings, a protective casing (2) which houses the thermal imaging detector and includes a window (5) with a transparent screen (6), one or more sensors (15;16;20;32;33) arranged in the protective casing and providing signals indicative of a physical quantity or a state, one or more actuators (8;22;28) arranged in the protective casing, and a control unit (9) which is integrated in the protective casing. The control unit is directly connected to the thermal imaging detector to receive the thermographic images and/or recordings and transmit them to the outside, to the sensors to receive the relative signals, and to the actuators to control the latter according to the signals received. The control unit is able to manage and control the communication between all the components of the thermal camera and the outside.

Abstract: Method for checking the surface and/or shape of at least one surface, or part thereof, of an object made of transparent material, by means of a checking system which comprises a light source, a sensor and a processing unit connected to the sensor. By an appropriate positioning of the light source and sensor it is possible to overcome the problem of multiple reflections and to identify in a unique manner the rays scattered from the surface to be checked and received by the sensor which are useful for the purposes of checking. According to one of the embodiments, it is also possible to determine the thickness of the object to be checked.

Abstract: An apparatus for checking mechanical parts such as tools on machine tools employs optical devices for emitting and receiving a light beam, for example a laser beam, along a checking direction, and sensors for detecting variations in the features of such a light beam. A protection device (15) for at least one of the optical devices comprises a support element (21,22) with an inner seat (20), communication conduits (18,26,34) aligned along the checking direction and a shutter (44) movable, in the internal seat, from a rest position to an operative position of the apparatus. The shutter comprises a transversal through hole (60) which is arranged along the checking direction in the operative position, aligned with the communication conduits to allow the light beam to pass through. A movable closure element (55), for example a small sphere or ball, is arranged in a transversal hollow (54) of the shutter and is pushed by a spring towards the outside of the transversal hollow.

Abstract: Balancing system for a rotating spindle (3) of a machine tool (1); the balancing system has a rotating part comprising a balancing head (7) with at least one balancing mass (8) and at least one electric motor (9) which is adapted to regulate the position of the balancing mass; the rotating part also includes a vibration sensor (10) and a control system (11) with at least one hardware (12) and at least one software (13) executed by the hardware; the balancing system also includes a two-way contactless communication system (14) which establishes communication between the rotating control system and a fixed processing and control electronics (15) connected to a machine tool control unit (20).

Abstract: An apparatus for checking the diameter of crankpins (15) of a crankshaft in orbital motion about a geometrical axis in a numerical control machine tool includes a V-shaped reference device (10), a measuring device (6) and a support device (4) fixed to the tool holding slide (2) that movably supports the reference device and the measuring device. A control device (50) for controlling automatic displacements of the apparatus towards and away from a checking condition, includes a programmable electric motor (60) and a transmission mechanism (62). The programmable electric motor is programmed to define a start position in which the automatic displacement of the apparatus away from the checking condition can be stopped, for instance a rest position or an intermediate position between the rest position and the checking condition.

Abstract: The checking methods includes the steps of feeding molten metal into the mold (3), extracting from the mold after a predetermined cooling time the mechanical piece (2) formed by the solidified molten metal; and acquiring at least one real thermographic image (A, X) of an internal surface (7) of the mold (3). To check the quality of the manufactured mechanical piece, at least part of the real thermographic image and/or related parameters is/are compared with images and/or related parameters belonging to a predetermined acceptability range. A possible anomaly in the mechanical piece is detected if the real thermographic image and/or related parameters do not correspond to said images and/or related parameters belonging to the predetermined acceptability range.

Abstract: Apparatus (1) for checking the dimensions and/or shape of a complex-shaped body (3), comprising a checking support (5) on which the body to be checked is positioned, a robotic system (8) with an optical assembly (17) and a memory unit (19) for storing reference data relating to a reference shape of the body. A processing and control unit (18) controls movements of the optical assembly so as to obtain dimensional values relating to the body at predetermined measuring points, these dimensional values then being compared with the reference data stored in the memory unit. The apparatus further comprises reference elements (35) defined in the checking support in predetermined positions and a distance sensor (17) for acquiring actual positions of said reference elements. Local compensation parameters for correcting positioning errors of the robotic system are calculated for each of the reference elements on the basis of the predetermined positions and the actual positions acquired.

Abstract: Bidirectional measuring head (1) comprising: a stationary frame (12), a feeler (2), a kinematic motion assembly (13) which is supported by the stationary frame and carries the feeler to enable the feeler to move along two measuring directions (D1, D2) perpendicular to each other, and at least one position sensor (3a, 3b) that is mounted on the kinematic motion assembly and detects the position of the feeler along at least one measuring direction. The kinematic motion assembly has four columns, each of which runs perpendicular to the two measuring directions: a first column (14) is rigidly linked to the support frame, a second column (15) is adapted to translate along both measuring directions and supports the feeler, a third column (16) and a fourth column (7) each performs a displacement almost exclusively along one of the two measuring directions. The kinematic motion assembly may be a deformable mechanism.

Abstract: Method for checking the surface and/or shape of at least one surface, or part thereof, of an object made of transparent material, by means of a checking system which comprises a light source, a sensor and a processing unit connected to the sensor. By an appropriate positioning of the light source and sensor it is possible to overcome the problem of multiple reflections and to identify in a unique manner the rays scattered from the surface to be checked and received by the sensor which are useful for the purposes of checking. According to one of the embodiments, it is also possible to determine the thickness of the object to be checked.

Abstract: An apparatus for checking the length (H) of a chamfer (7) delimited by a first surface (5) and by an edge (S), comprises two feelers (15, 25)—movably connected to a same supporting frame (20)—and respective transducers (16,26). The transducers supply signals (T1, T2) indicative of displacements of the respective feelers along mutually perpendicular directions (Y, X). A checking method includes moving the supporting frame at a constant speed so that, during the movement, one of the feelers scans the chamfer and the other cooperates with the first surface. The signals of the respective transducers are acquired and transmitted synchronously to a processing unit (40) which processes them together with information on the mutual position of the two feelers to obtain the length of the chamfer.

Abstract: A data processing and transmission system (1) for a numerical control unit (2) adapted to control a machine tool (3), comprises at least one input channel (4) adapted to a transit of operational signals from or to devices present in the machine tool, electronic circuits configured to process the operational signals to make available on an output interface (5) control signals for the numerical control unit, a multipolar cable (8) having a first and a second end, each provided with a multipolar connector (9), a master unit having the output interface, a main processor, a memory and at least one socket (7A) configured to be coupled to one of the multipolar connectors, one or more slave units (6), each provided with at least one external port (6A) defining the input channel, a memory, a secondary processor, and provided also with a first socket (6B) and a second socket (6C), configured to be coupled at least to a first or a second connector of the multipolar connectors in order to interconnect the slave unit at l

Abstract: Method for self-recognition, by a probe, of a communication protocol to be used to communicate with a base station (7), the probe (4) being configured to emulate a plurality of communication protocols featuring respective activation procedures. Each activation procedure allows the base station to activate the probe to perform a checking cycle. According to the method, in consequence of a command given by a user by means of hardware interfaces (5,15,16) of the probe, the probe is set in a search state (100-105) where all the activation procedures are attempted and it is identified which of the activation procedures is completed positively. Then, the probe is switched to an operative state (201-205) based on the communication protocol featuring the identified activation procedure. Preferably, the activation procedure is identified after a predetermined number (N) of positive conclusions have occurred.

Abstract: An apparatus for checking the diameter of crankpins (15) of a crankshaft in orbital motion about a geometrical axis in a numerical control machine tool includes a V-shaped reference device (10), a measuring device (6) and a support device (4) fixed to the tool holding slide (2) that movably supports the reference device and the measuring device. A control device (50) for controlling automatic displacements of the apparatus towards and away from a checking condition, includes a programmable electric motor (60) and a transmission mechanism (62). The programmable electric motor is programmed to define a start position in which the automatic displacement of the apparatus away from the checking condition can be stopped, for instance a rest position or an intermediate position between the rest position and the checking condition.

Abstract: Measuring assembly with a measuring apparatus and a recognition system, and recognition method to detect the correct positioning of a removable device such as a comparator to check the shape and/or dimensions of a mechanical part with respect to a stationary part that includes at least one mechanical reference for the removable device. The system comprises a field source disposed in the stationary part that generates a field and a matching element disposed on the removable device that is able to alter the propagation of this field if correctly positioned relative to the field source. A sensor fixed to the stationary part in an appropriate position detects or not the field and generates a resulting detection signal detection or non-detection signal. A processing unit receives the signal generated by the sensor and on the basis of this provides information about the correct or incorrect positioning of the removable device with respect to the stationary part.

Abstract: Bidirectional measuring head (1) comprising: a stationary frame (12), a feeler (2), a kinematic motion assembly (13) which is supported by the stationary frame and carries the feeler to enable the feeler to move along two measuring directions (D1, D2) perpendicular to each other, and at least one position sensor (3a3b) that is mounted on the kinematic motion assembly and detects the position of the feeler along at least one measuring direction. The kinematic motion assembly has four columns, each of which runs perpendicular to the two measuring directions: a first column (14) is rigidly linked to the support frame, a second column (15) is adapted to translate along both measuring directions and supports the feeler, a third column (16) and a fourth column (7) each performs a displacement almost exclusively along one of the two measuring directions. The kinematic motion assembly may be a deformable mechanism.

Abstract: A measuring and/or control system (1), to control for example a machine tool, comprises at least a first and a second unit, each comprising electronic circuits and at least one socket. The systems further includes a multipolar cable (8) containing a plurality of wires (8A) and having a first and a second end, each provided with a multipolar connector (9) adapted to be coupled to a socket of the first unit and second unit. At least one of the multipolar connectors of the multipolar cable is a fast wiring multipolar connector (12) provided with a first body (12A) and a second body (12B), adapted to be plugged into the first body. The first body comprises a support with two opposite faces, a first group of electrical contacts fixed to one of the faces of the support and adapted to be coupled to one of the sockets of the first or second unit, and a second group of electrical contacts fixed to the other face of the support.

Abstract: A device (1) for measuring a valve seat formed in a piece has an elongate shape and defines a longitudinal axis (A), and includes: a slide (9), slidingly coupled to a guide (11) for translating in a scanning direction (B) inclined to the longitudinal axis; a sensor (10), mounted on the slide for measuring a parameter relating to a profile of the seat; a processing unit connected to the sensor; a rotary actuator (13) defining a longitudinal rotation axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device; and a transmission assembly interposed between the rotary actuator and the slide for transforming a rotary motion about a longitudinal rotation axis in a reciprocating linear motion of the slide along the scanning direction.