Abstract: An electric discharge machining apparatus is provided with an electrode mounting section which mounts a tool electrode, and an electrode driving section which has a radial driving section which supports and drives the electrode mounting section in a non-contact manner in a radial direction and a thrust driving section which supports and drives the electrode mounting section in a non-contact manner in a thrust direction, and a machining state is controlled by adjusting a position of the tool electrode by the electrode driving section. Because of such a structure, a mass increase of a section which should be driven together with the electrode is restricted, and high response in X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions are achieved, whereby an electric discharge machining apparatus capable of improving a machining speed and a machining accuracy is achieved.

Abstract: A position control apparatus has a target setting unit for setting a target position in a direction of the control axis of the controlled object able to be moved in directions of a plurality of control axes by moving unit; a position control unit for independently positioning the controlled object to the target position in the direction of the control axis set by the target position setting unit; and a position correcting unit for correcting the target positions in directions of other control axes by compensation amounts for correcting positioning derivation in directions of other control axes occurring when positioning the controlled object to a first target position in the direction of one control axis among the plurality of control axes and then reversing the feed direction from that first target position and positioning to a second target position.

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 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 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 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 non-contact tracer control device for carrying out a profile machining on a workpiece while tracing the profile of a model in a non-contact fashion. Two non-contact distance detectors (5a, 5b) are slantingly mounted to a tracer head 4) controlled through a rotary axis, and measurement values obtained by the two non-contact distance detectors (5a, 5b) are sampled at predetermined sampling intervals. Based on the measurement values obtained at previous and current sampling times, coordinates of the four vertexes of a very small rectangle on the surface of a model (6) are obtained, and a normal vector is obtained by using the coordinates of three required vertexes out of the four vertexes. The tracer head (4) is rotated in the direction of a projected vector obtained by projecting the normal vector onto an X-Y plane.

Abstract: A digitizing method for digitizing model surface data by tracing a model (MDL) with a stylus (STL) is described. At the time of digitizing, a time (T) required for predetermined conditions to be satisfied and stylus traveling distance (.DELTA.L) during this time are monitored, tracing velocity (F) is obtained based on this time and traveling distance, and the tracing velocity is output along with data indicative of the model surface profile.

Abstract: An NC program drawing method for an interactive numerical control device is provided, in which an NC program is represented by a composite drawing composed of a solid drawing (1a, 1b, 1c) and a wire frame drawing (1d, 1e), whereby the drawing of machining profiles and tool paths, etc., can be processed in a short time and the machining profiles can be easily recognized, thus facilitating the creation of machining programs. According to a preferred mode of carrying out the invention, simple surfaces and the like are drawn by the solid drawing method (1a, 1b, 1c), and complicated profiles (1d, 1e) and tool paths, etc., are drawn by the wire frame drawing method.

Abstract: A numerical control apparatus is characterized by a structure in which: a machining program stores the final shape of a work as well as the shape of a material; designates the outermost point (an apex) on the work in a direction opposing a cutting direction as a cutting reference point; sets linear lines which are respectively lowered from the cutting reference point by cutting depths, and obtains the inter-sections of the lines and the material shape. The intersections thus obtained are classified into points where the tool enters the work zone and points where the tool emerges from the work zone, so that the tool can be moved at a predetermined cutting rate for a cutting operation between the point where it enters and the point where it emerges from the work zone while it is moved at a rapid traverse rate between the emerging point and the point where it re-enters the work zone.

Abstract: A digitizing method in which a distance from a model surface is measured and stored at regular intervals of time or distance to obtain digital profile data of the model. A specified profile for correction is provided on a part of the model, and by using the specified mode, correction data such as a distance correction coefficient is obtained before carrying out the digitizing. Digitizing data obtained by carrying out the digitizing is corrected by the correction data. The correction data is obtained based on the material and surface condition of the actual model, and therefore, the digitizing data can be accurately corrected.

Abstract: The present invention provides an area cutting method for machining an area (AR) bounded by the curve (OLC) of a predetermined external shape previously using a unidirectional cutting motion. The invention has a step of performing cutting along an i-th cutting path (PT.sub.i), a step, executed after completion of cutting along the cutting path (PT.sub.i), of moving a tool (TL) in a cutting-feed mode along the curve (OLC) of the external shape from a machining end point (Q.sub.i) on the cutting path to a machining end point (Q.sub.i-1) on an (i-1)th cutting path (PT.sub.i-1) previously cut, a step of positioning the tool (TL) from the point (Q.sub.i-1) to a machining starting point (P.sub.i) on the cutting path (PT.sub.i), a step of moving the tool in the cutting-feed mode along the curve of the external shape from the machining starting point (P.sub.i) on the cutting path (PT.sub.i) to a machining starting point (P.sub.i+1) on the next cutting path (PT.sub.

Abstract: This invention has improved the automatic programming method which is used for machining the configuration of a curved surface of a die. The values of X and Y coordinates are calculated by a machining path production device through a curved surface configuration storage device. The value of Z coordinate in the third dimension is obtained by a machining point calculation device. If a curved surface in the Z axis is to be machined two or more times, a judgement circuit decides this and a calculation processing device calculates that the first machining is to be conducted in conformity with the curved surface and the second or later machining is to be skipped for rapid feeding, this decision being stored in a tool path data storing device.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for machining multiple entry threads on a workpiece. The preferred steps of the method are preferably carried out in conjunction with a computer-based numerical control system. The method includes the steps of: determining the angular position of the workpiece as it is being rotated by a machine tool spindle; determining the desired separation of thread entry points; specifying the angular position of the workpiece at the start of tool motion for cutting a first thread on the workpiece, the angular position being stored as a reference angle; and for each subsequent thread, starting motion of the cutting tool from the first thread starting point whenever the angular position of the workpiece is displaced from the reference angle by an amount equal to the desired entry point separation from the first entry point, the motion being maintained along the identical path used to cut the first thread.

Abstract: A numerical control machining method and apparatus wherein a workpiece (101) is machined on the basis of curved surface data defining a curved surface. In the numerical control machining method and apparatus, a first boundary surface (103) serving as an upper limit and a second boundary surface (104) serving as a lower limit are respectively entered as inputs. A determination is made whether a tool lies in an upper part with respect to the first boundary surface (103), between the first and second boundary surfaces, or in a lower part with respect to the second boundary surface (104), and only the curved surface (CA.sub.1) enclosed by the first boundary surface (103) and the second boundary surface (104) is machined on the basis of the curved surface data. Then first and second boundary surfaces (103, 104) are moved downwards by predetermined values and the tool is moved by rapid traverse to a position (P.sub.12) corresponding to the first boundary surface (103').

Abstract: In a system which performs tracer control by calculating the direction and the velocity of tracing through utilization of signals from a tracer head tracing the model surface, there are provided an input unit for entering data defining the tracing operation, a memory for storing the data and processor for reading out the data from the memory to control respective parts of a control device. Data concerning clamp tracing is read out by the processor to change the clamp level by a predetermined value for each working, thereby performing repetitive clamp tracing.

Abstract: An analogue control device with at least one electric stroke control emitter for the abutment-free stroke limitation of machine tools, especially honing machines, with which either a tool carrier or the workpiece connected to the machine tool carries out a reciprocatory stroke of adjustable length. As stroke control emitter there is provided a simple resistor which is adjustable in conformity with the machining movement and which is passed through by electric current, while pre-set values of the current or of the voltage generated by the current on the resistor are employed for limiting the stroke. The device also includes a warming-up or conditioning control which makes it possible automatically to carry out a predetermined number of working strokes with changed stroke length, the number and/or stroke length being adjustable.

Abstract: A tracer control circuit for guiding a probe around a template comprising analog computers for calculating normalized values of x and y deflection signals and x and y velocity signals. The circuit comprises means for rotating the vector defined by the normalized deflection signals to drive the probe tangent to the template edge and means for rotating the vector defined by the normalized velocity signals to establish a probe deflection reference against which actual deflection may be compared and controlled.