Abstract: A machine having X- and Y-axis linear moving axes and a pivot axis B for rotationally pivoting a pivot member having a tool arranged at a distal end thereof about an axis parallel to a Z axis is controlled. A moving command obtained by a command program commanded by a position expressed by X, Y, and Z in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is subjected to an interpolation process to calculate amounts of interpolation movement (?X, ?Y, and ?Z) of the respective orthogonal axes. An amount of rotation ?? of the pivot axis required for moving the tool by the amount of movement ?Y in the Y-axis direction is calculated. An amount of correction movement ?x for canceling the movement in the X-axis direction caused by the rotation ?? of the pivot axis B is calculated. Values (?X+?x), ??, and ?Z are outputted to the X axis, the pivot axis B, and the Z axis, respectively.

Abstract: A machine having X- and Y-axis linear moving axes and a pivot axis B for rotationally pivoting a pivot member having a tool arranged at a distal end thereof about an axis parallel to a Z axis is controlled. A moving command obtained by a command program commanded by a position expressed by X, Y, and Z in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is subjected to an interpolation process to calculate amounts of interpolation movement (?X, ?Y, and ?Z) of the respective orthogonal axes. An amount of rotation ?? of the pivot axis required for moving the tool by the amount of movement ?Y in the Y-axis direction is calculated. An amount of correction movement ?x for canceling the movement in the X-axis direction caused by the rotation ?? of the pivot axis B is calculated. Values (?X+?x), ??, and ?Z are outputted to the X axis, the pivot axis B, and the Z axis, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digitizing control apparatus for outputting smooth data along an original tracing path by correcting digitized data. Coordinate data of a digitized model surface is calculated by adding coordinate data commanding a tracing path on a model surface to the measuring displacements at trace measuring points of a sensor. Coordinate data of the respective trace measuring points is corrected to digitized data approximated by a new coordinate point on a tracing plane containing the tracing path. Corrected coordinate data is output as smooth digitizing data along the original trace path.

Abstract: A tracing control system for tracing a groove counter can easily measure the groove contour formed on a three-dimensional model surface. A tracer head is provided with a stylus having a size enabling the stylus to slide in a groove formed on the model surface in the state that the stylus receives a load from three axial directions. Amount of displacement sensing means senses the amount of displacement of the stylus. Displacement vector calculation means calculates the displacement vector of the stylus based on the sensed amount of displacement of the stylus. Movement control means controls the positional movement of the tracer head so that the displacement vector is equal to a predetermined vector value at all times. Position sensing means senses the present position of the tracer head. Data creation means creates digitized data based on the sensed present position of the tracer head and the amount of displacement of the stylus.

Abstract: A non-contact profile control method capable of being effectively applied to a model whose contour has an irregularity such as a step-like contour. A non-contact distance sensor generates a dark alarm signal when its measuring beam spot is formed out of its detection area on a model. In response to this dark alarm signal, the profile control is discontinued, and a tracer head, on which the distance sensor is mounted, is rotated until the dark alarm signal is turned off so that the distance sensor can recover its detecting function. Furthermore, an additional rotation is given to the distance sensor by a predetermined amount to stabilize the detecting function of the distance sensor. A work table is shifted with respect to the tracer head so that a clearance between the tracer head and a steep slope of the stepped portion can be adjusted to become closer to a predetermined value, and the profile control is resumed.

Abstract: In a copy control device wherein a model (6) and a workpiece moved relatively with a tracer head (4) and a tool in an X-Y plane, measured distance values to the surface of the model, which are detected by first and second non-contact detectors (5a, 5b) obliquely mounted on the tracer head (4) rotatable about a Z axis are periodically sampled to obtain the coordinate values of measured points on the surface of the model, a normal vector (Nn) on the surface of the model is calculated from three coordinate values out of four measured points (P1n-1, P1n, P2n-1, P2n) successively obtained by the both detectors, and the tracer head is rotated so as to move along a projection (N1n) of the normal vector (Nn) on the X-Y plane, so that measuring axes of the detectors are controlled to be approximately vertical to the surface of the model.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to carry out the most appropriate attitude control of non-contact distance detectors (5a, b) onto the tracer model (6) surface and provide a digitizing control unit with high accuracy. A non-contact distance detecting device (105) samples coordinates of a plurality of points from the model surface, and the coordinates are stored in a memory (101). A point selecting device (102) selects 3 points on the tracer model surface composing a triangle most similar to a regular triangle after selecting 3 arbitrary points of the stored coordinates. A vector determining device (103) determines the normal vector with reference to the coordinates of the 3 selected points. The attitude of the non-contact distance detecting device (105) is controlled by the attitude control device (104) using the normal vector.

Abstract: A tracing control system prevents a cutter head from biting into a workpiece at all times irrespective of a tracing speed. The cutter head moves to machine the workpiece based on displacements of a stylus on a tracer head (41) along respective axes. The tracer head (41) is actuated along tracing axes independently of the cutter head by motors (31) different from the cutter head. A calculating unit (6) calculates the actual position of the tracer head (41). Based on the actual position of the tracer head (41) and the displacements of the stylus along the respective axes, speed commands for the center of a cutter of the cutter head are corrected by a correcting unit (7) so as to correspond to the displacements of the stylus with respect to the tracer head (41). The central position of the cutter head is thus controlled at all times in conformity with the central position of the stylus.

Abstract: Movement of a tool is delayed for a specified time from the movement of a tracer head that probes a model and traces the same path so that a cutter does not attain a state of excessive overshoot at a corner of a workpiece. The tracer head is driven independent of the tool on all axes of a machine tool by submotors provided in conjunction with feed axes of the tool. Profiling command values are stored in the FIFO memory 41 and output to the axes of the machine tool after being delayed for the specified time. In an operating circuit 43, speed command values Vxs to submotors are calculated based on the profile command values. The tracer head probes the model in precedence to the tool in response to the speed command values Vxs.

Abstract: When a non-contact tracing of a configuration of a three-dimensional model is carried out, the measurement axis of a tracer head is controlled to always be facing in an optimum direction with respect to a model surface by controlling the attitude of the tracer head, to thereby create tracing data of the configuration of the model. The tracer head is provided with two non-contact distance sensing units, and a normal vector of the model surface is determined based on a measurement value obtained by sampling tracing data supplied from the tracer head. At this time, the direction of a normal vector is determined from the outer product of surface vectors in a range in which the angle between an axial vector starting from a measurement point of the measurement axis of the tracer head and the normal vector at the measurement point does not exceed 90.degree.. The tracer head is controlled to be rotated in the direction toward a projection obtained by projecting the normal vector on a predetermined plane.

Abstract: Disclosed is a digitizing method of sensing an amount of displacement of each axis applied to a stylus by a tracer head, profiling a model surface while controlling the stylus in such a manner that the amount of displacement is made equal to a reference amount of displacement, sequentially fetching positional data by a predetermined method, and outputting NC data, wherein a difference between the amount of displacement and the reference amount of displacement is monitored, and the difference is added to the positional data and a specific positional data obtained when the difference exceeds a predetermined value is output. Although the amount of displacement of each axis is controlled to be equal to the reference amount of displacement when a gently inclined configuration is profiled, at the moment when a corner is reached, a phenomenon that the stylus is spaced apart from a model arises so that the difference between the amount of displacement and the reference amount of displacement is increased.

Abstract: A tracing control system machines a workpiece to a desired contour corresponding to the surface of a model which is being traced. The tracing control system comprises a tracing control circuit, a digitizing circuit, and numerical circuits. The tracing control circuit controls a plurality of tracing axes to trace the surface of the model. The digitizing circuit is connected to the tracing control circuit through a bus, for reading the positions of the tracing axes as positional data from time to time and processing the positional data to prevent a cutter head from biting into the workpiece, thereby to generate NC data linearly approximate the surface of the model. The numerical control circuits are connected to the digitizing circuit through the bus, for positionally controlling as many machining axes as the number of the tracing axes on the NC data to machine the workpiece.

Abstract: A noncontact tracing control system for tracing machining a workpiece through a tracing of the contour of a model without contact. Coordinate values of a plurality of points on the model surface are acquired from measured values obtained by a plurality of times of sampling from two noncontact distance detectors (5a, 5b) provided at a tracer head of a tracing machine (3). A noncontact tracing control system (1) selects three points forming a triangle closest to an equilateral triangle, from among these points. A normal vector is acquired using the coordinate values of the vertices of these three points and outputs a command (SC) for rotating the tracer head (4) in the direction of a projection of this normal vector onto the X-Y plane. This command (SC) passes a D/A converter (17c), is amplified at an amplifier (18c), drives a motor (32c) and rotates the tracer head (4).

Abstract: A digitizing control device which is inexpensive and capable of generating a normal vector representing the direction of a normal line to a model surface on a real-time basis by a light-section method, wherein a table (31), on which a model (6) is placed, is horizontally moved relative to a tracer head (4) to which a light source (5a) and a camera (5b) are mounted, and a processor (11) of a control device (1) periodically samples measurement data representing two detection points, at which a received-light pattern on the camera crosses two one-dimensional optical sensors arranged at a light-receiving face of the camera, and table/camera movement control data, generates tracing data in accordance with the coordinates of two points on the model surface obtained from the sampled data, calculates a normal vector of the model surface on the basis of the coordinates of the two points and the coordinates of a point on the model surface obtained at a previous sampling time, and positions the tracer head at a rotation

Abstract: A digitizing control device for generating tracing data related to a shape of a model while a tracer head carries out a non-contact tracing of the model shape. The rotation of the tracer head (4) is controlled in accordance with the inclination of a model surface (6), and distance detectors (5a, 5b) measure the distances therefrom to the model surface (6). When the inclination of the model surface (6) is smaller than a reference angle, the control of the rotation of the tracer head (4) is prohibited, to thereby achieve a stable distance measurement, and accordingly, accurate tracing data can be generated by a non-contact tracing of the model surface.

Abstract: A non-contact tracing control apparatus is disclosed which traces the surface of a model by using at least two optical distance detectors for detecting the distances therefrom to the model. When a first light corresponding to a first of the optical distance detectors is detecting a distance, a second light of another, second optical distance detector is either dimmed or shut off. Interference between more than one light reflected from the model and errors from, i.e., the first light reflected from the model incident on a second position sensor of the second optical distance detector can be avoided. The distances to a plurality of measurement points thus can be detected without interference even though the measurement points on the surface of the model are relatively close to one another.

Abstract: A tracing control system machines a workpiece through tracing by repeating a plurality of tracing passes in a tracing direction which is constant to a pick feed while detecting amounts of displacement of respective axes applied to a stylus. A first abrupt change region (P1c) on a model (1) surface is detected using the amounts of displacement of the respective axes obtained in the previous tracing pass, and a first position (X1c, Y1c) of the first abrupt change region in the X-Y plane is stored. Similarly, a second abrupt change region (P2c) is detected and a second position (X2c, Y2c) in the X-Y plane is stored. The tracing speed is lowered in the next tracing pass in the section within the range of each predetermined distance (l1, l2) in front of and behind an intersection (X3p, Y3p) with an extended line passing through the first position (X1c, Y1c) and the second position (X2c, Y2c).

Abstract: A noncontact tracing control system for machining or digitizing a workpiece through tracing the shape of a model without a contact therewith. Coordinate values of each vertex of a micro quadrangle on a model surface (6) are obtained from measured values at the previous sampling and the present sampling from two noncontact distance detectors (5a, 5b), a normal direction is obtained using the coordinate values of three necessary vertexes thereof, and the rotation of two axes (B1, C1) of a tracer head (4) is controlled in this direction. Accordingly, optical measuring axes of the noncontact distance detectors are always at a right angle to the model surface, which enables a distance measuring with a high accuracy.

Abstract: A method of setting a tracing zone in a contour tracing in which a surface of a model is traced by a contour tracing to thereby machine a workpiece. The contour tracing zone is set by a plurality of straight lines forming a polygonal shape (43, 44, 45), and when a stylus (5) reaches the straight lines forming a polygonal shape line (43, 44), pick feed is carried out to thus machine the workpiece by a contour machining. Because a tracing zone in the contour tracing is set by a plurality of straight lines forming a polygonal shape (43, 44, 45), the necessary contour tracing zones can be precisely set and therefore, unnecessary machining time is eliminated and life and so on of tools is prolonged.

Abstract: A digitizing control apparatus successively receives positional data and produces NC data while tracing the shape of a model. The digitizing control apparatus has a tracer head (3) having first and second non-contact-type distance detectors (30a, 30b) for independently measuring distances up to the surface of the model, the first and second non-contact-type distance detectors being positioned to travel parallel to a feed direction. A sampling circuit (16) samples measured values from the first and second distance detectors (30a, 30b) at predetermined times. A memory (13) stores a previously sampled measured value from the non-contact-type distance detector (30a) and a previously sampled measured value from the non-contact-type distance detector (30b).