Abstract: A machine tool includes: a movably configured saddle; and a bed having a sliding surface supplied with a lubricant and allowing the saddle to slide thereon, and receiving the weight of the saddle. The sliding surface has a recess continuously extending in a direction in which the saddle moves. By this configuration, a machine tool which easily holds a lubricant on a sliding surface and a method for producing a structure for the machine tool having the sliding surface are provided.

Abstract: A machine tool includes a bed supported on a ground by supporting jigs, a table movable in an X-axis direction, a spindle head movable in a Y-axis direction, a quill provided to be movable in a Z-axis direction, a spindle supported by the quill to be rotatable about its axis, feed mechanisms for moving the table and the like in the axis directions, and a numerical controller controlling operation of the feed mechanisms, and the numerical controller is configured to calculate motion errors based on load values acting on the supporting jigs by a motion locus estimator, an influence coefficient storage, a motion error calculator, and a motion locus storage, generate a correction signal for compensating for the motion errors by a position corrector, and add the generated correction signals to a position control signal transmitted from a position generator to a position controller.

Abstract: A milling cutter is composed of a tool body having an approximately cylindrical or disk-like shape and a plurality of edge portions provided on at least an outer peripheral portion of one end of the tool body at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction. The edge portion has a major cutting edge and a minor cutting edge that perform an operation of cutting a workpiece, the major cutting edge is positioned outside the minor cutting edge in a radial direction, and the minor cutting edge has a cutting edge angle that is an angle with respect to a plane orthogonal to a center axis of the tool body and set so as to be an elevation angle open outward in the radial direction. When surface machining is performed on a workpiece with the milling cutter, a high degree of machined surface accuracy equivalent to that obtained by grinding is obtained.

Abstract: A machine tool includes: a movably configured saddle; and a bed having a sliding surface supplied with a lubricant and allowing the saddle to slide thereon, and receiving the weight of the saddle. The sliding surface has a recess continuously extending in a direction in which the saddle moves. By this configuration, a machine tool which easily holds a lubricant on a sliding surface and a method for producing a structure for the machine tool having the sliding surface are provided.

Abstract: A reinstalling method which, when reinstalling an object to be supported, precisely restores the object to an initial installing state in a short period of time without requiring special skills. In a state before supporting of an object to be supported by support tools is released and in each of states in which the supporting is sequentially released, load acting on at least one support tool selected from among the support tools being in a supporting state is obtained. When reinstalling, the object is sequentially supported at the same positions as those before the release by the support tools in the reverse order to that of the release, and, a vertical-direction supporting position of each support tool is adjusted so that a load cell of the selected support tool detects the same value as the load obtained in the supporting state before the support tool was released.

Abstract: A workpiece fixing jig 1 includes a base 2 to be fixed on a table, and a clamping mechanism 10 provided on the base 2 for clamping a workpiece. The clamping mechanism 10 includes a first clamping portion 20 and a second clamping portion 30 provided to face each other. At least one of the first and second clamping portions 20 and 30 is configured to move forward and backward with respect to the other along a moving direction and the moving direction is set to a direction intersecting a direction in which the base 2 is fixed on the table. In using this workpiece fixing jig 1, the base 2 is fixed on the table after the workpiece is clamped between the first clamping portion 20 and the second clamping portion 30.

Abstract: A machine tool includes a bed supported on a ground by supporting jigs, a table movable in an X-axis direction, a spindle head movable in a Y-axis direction, a quill provided to be movable in a Z-axis direction, a spindle supported by the quill to be rotatable about its axis, feed mechanisms for moving the table and the like in the axis directions, and a numerical controller controlling operation of the feed mechanisms, and the numerical controller is configured to calculate motion errors based on load values acting on the supporting jigs by a motion locus estimator, an influence coefficient storage, a motion error calculator, and a motion locus storage, generate a correction signal for compensating for the motion errors by a position corrector, and add the generated correction signals to a position control signal transmitted from a position generator to a position controller.

Abstract: A milling cutter is composed of a tool body having an approximately cylindrical or disk-like shape and a plurality of edge portions provided on at least an outer peripheral portion of one end of the tool body at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction. The edge portion has a major cutting edge and a minor cutting edge that perform an operation of cutting a workpiece, the major cutting edge is positioned outside the minor cutting edge in a radial direction, and the minor cutting edge has a cutting edge angle that is an angle with respect to a plane orthogonal to a center axis of the tool body and set so as to be an elevation angle open outward in the radial direction. When surface machining is performed on a workpiece with the milling cutter, a high degree of machined surface accuracy equivalent to that obtained by grinding is obtained.

Abstract: A workpiece fixing jig 1 includes a base 2 to be fixed on a table, and a clamping mechanism 10 provided on the base 2 for clamping a workpiece. The clamping mechanism 10 includes a first clamping portion 20 and a second clamping portion 30 provided to face each other. At least one of the first and second clamping portions 20 and 30 is configured to move forward and backward with respect to the other along a moving direction and the moving direction is set to a direction intersecting a direction in which the base 2 is fixed on the table. In using this workpiece fixing jig 1, the base 2 is fixed on the table after the workpiece is clamped between the first clamping portion 20 and the second clamping portion 30.

Abstract: A reinstalling method which, when reinstalling an object to be supported, precisely restores the object to an initial installing state in a short period of time without requiring special skills. In a state before supporting of an object to be supported by support tools is released and in each of states in which the supporting is sequentially released, load acting on at least one support tool selected from among the support tools being in a supporting state is obtained. When reinstalling, the object is sequentially supported at the same positions as those before the release by the support tools in the reverse order to that of the release, and, a vertical-direction supporting position of each support tool is adjusted so that a load cell of the selected support tool detects the same value as the load obtained in the supporting state before the support tool was released.

Abstract: An enclosure for an imaging device. In one embodiment, the enclosure includes a housing with a transparent window. A shutter mechanism is disposed on the housing and transparent window, and includes an opening formed therein. A shutter covers and uncovers the opening. Further, a gas supplying unit supplies gas to a space between the housing and the shutter mechanism. In another embodiment, the enclosure includes an inner housing with a transparent window, and an outer housing overlapping the inner housing and with an opening formed therein. A driving unit moves the opening along a predetermined path over the transparent window. A gas supplying unit supplies gas to the outer. In yet another embodiment, the enclosure includes inner and outer housings each having an opening formed therein. A rotating unit rotates one of the inner and outer housings, and a gas supplying unit supplies gas to the inner housing.

Abstract: An enclosure for an imaging device. In one embodiment, the enclosure includes a housing with a transparent window. A shutter mechanism is disposed on the housing and transparent window, and includes an opening formed therein. A shutter covers and uncovers the opening. Further, a gas supplying unit supplies gas to a space between the housing and the shutter mechanism. In another embodiment, the enclosure includes an inner housing with a transparent window, and an outer housing overlapping the inner housing and with an opening formed therein. A driving unit moves the opening along a predetermined path over the transparent window. A gas supplying unit supplies gas to the outer. In yet another embodiment, the enclosure includes inner and outer housings each having an opening formed therein. A rotating unit rotates one of the inner and outer housings, and a gas supplying unit supplies gas to the inner housing.

Abstract: A bearing unit capable of withstanding a large axial force based on a simple structure including: a bearing 10 having an internal ring 13 fitted to an inside member 2, an outer ring 14 fitted to an outside member 6, lots of rolling elements 15 disposed between the outer ring 14 and the inner ring 13; and a transmitting direction shifting means A transmitting an axial force F from the inner ring 13 to the outside member 6 when the axial force F transmitted from the inside member 2 to the internal ring 13 exceeds a predetermined value or above, and a main spindle device of a machine tool, which is provided with the bearing unit, are provided.

Abstract: A process planning apparatus extracts a region to be machined based on the difference of the shape data before and after machining of the workpiece, replaces the extracted region into combinations of the predetermined machining features, allocates a predetermined fixed cycle to each of the replaced machining features, and applies an assessment function relating to a machining time and a life of the end mill to each of the combinations of the machining features to which the fixed cycles are respectively allocated, thereby selecting a group of the fixed cycles which makes an assessment value obtained by the assessment function optimum as the optimal process. By these steps, it becomes possible to design the process for causing the NC machine employing end mills as a cutting tool to perform a predetermined machining of a workpiece without relying on the experience of the designer, and without necessitating complicated work.

Abstract: A bearing unit capable of withstanding a large axial force based on a simple structure including: a bearing 10 having an internal ring 13 fitted to an inside member 2, an outer ring 14 fitted to an outside member 6, lots of rolling elements 15 disposed between the outer ring 14 and the inner ring 13; and a transmitting direction shifting means A transmitting an axial force F from the inner ring 13 to the outside member 6 when the axial force F transmitted from the inside member 2 to the internal ring 13 exceeds a predetermined value or above, and a main spindle device of a machine tool, which is provided with the bearing unit, are provided.

Abstract: A process planning apparatus extracts a region to be machined based on the difference of the shape data before and after machining of the workpiece, replaces the extracted region into combinations of the predetermined machining features, allocates a predetermined fixed cycle to each of the replaced machining features, and applies an assessment function relating to a machining time and a life of the end mill to each of the combinations of the machining features to which the fixed cycles are respectively allocated, thereby selecting a group of the fixed cycles which makes an assessment value obtained by the assessment function optimum as the optimal process. By these steps, it becomes possible to design the process for causing the NC machine employing end mills as a cutting tool to perform a predetermined machining of a workpiece without relying on the experience of the designer, and without necessitating complicated work.

Abstract: A machine tool is provided in which a movable member can be moved in an optimum state according to an axial traverse mode. A vertical machining center as the machine tool includes a column provided upright on a bed, a spindle head supported on a front face of the column, a saddle provided in front of the column on the bed, and a table provided on the saddle. The saddle and the table are respectively guided in their movement directions by hydrostatic slideways. When the saddle and the table are moved in a so-called cutting feed mode, pressurized oil is automatically supplied to the respective hydrostatic slideways at a lower pressure. When the saddle and the table are moved in a so-called rapid traverse mode, the pressurized oil is automatically supplied to the respective hydrostatic slideways at a higher pressure.

Abstract: An exterior cover for a machine tool is provided which permits a machine tool body to maintain its machining accuracy. The exterior cover comprises a cover frame placed on a floor where the machine tool is installed, an inner cover plate partly attached to an inner side of the cover frame, and an outer cover plate attached to an outer side of the cover frame. A thermal insulating material is provided between the inner cover plate and the outer cover plate, and bonded to the inner cover plate. When the exterior cover is assembled, the cover frame is brought into abutment against the machine tool body with the intervention of a positioning member. Thus, the exterior cover can easily be positioned with respect to the machine tool body.

Abstract: A machine tool is provided in which a movable member guided by a hydrostatic slideway is held in a predetermined attitude. A vertical machining center as the machine tool includes a spindle head supported on a front face of a column in a vertically movable manner. A hydrostatic slideway for guiding the spindle head includes a slide rail provided on the spindle head and a slide guide provided on the front face of the column. A pocket is provided in a lower end portion of a slideway of the slide guide on the side of the column. Pressurized oil is supplied into the pocket at a pressure which is gradually increased according to a downward movement distance of the spindle head from the uppermost position.