GB2624404A - Machine tools for machining a workpiece and methods of operation thereof - Google Patents

Machine tools for machining a workpiece and methods of operation thereof Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2624404A
GB2624404A GB2217119.3A GB202217119A GB2624404A GB 2624404 A GB2624404 A GB 2624404A GB 202217119 A GB202217119 A GB 202217119A GB 2624404 A GB2624404 A GB 2624404A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
support
tool
machine
workpiece
rotary machine
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
GB2217119.3A
Other versions
GB202217119D0 (en
Inventor
Tucker Matthew
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Fives Landis Ltd
Original Assignee
Fives Landis Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fives Landis Ltd filed Critical Fives Landis Ltd
Priority to GB2217119.3A priority Critical patent/GB2624404A/en
Publication of GB202217119D0 publication Critical patent/GB202217119D0/en
Priority to PCT/GB2023/052971 priority patent/WO2024105373A1/en
Publication of GB2624404A publication Critical patent/GB2624404A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
    • B23Q39/00—Metal-working machines incorporating a plurality of sub-assemblies, each capable of performing a metal-working operation
    • B23Q39/02—Metal-working machines incorporating a plurality of sub-assemblies, each capable of performing a metal-working operation the sub-assemblies being capable of being brought to act at a single operating station
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
    • B24B27/00—Other grinding machines or devices
    • B24B27/0084—Other grinding machines or devices the grinding wheel support being angularly adjustable
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
    • B23Q1/00—Members which are comprised in the general build-up of a form of machine, particularly relatively large fixed members
    • B23Q1/25—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports
    • B23Q1/44—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms
    • B23Q1/50—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only, the rotating pairs being the first two elements of the mechanism
    • B23Q1/52—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only, the rotating pairs being the first two elements of the mechanism a single rotating pair
    • B23Q1/522—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only, the rotating pairs being the first two elements of the mechanism a single rotating pair which is perpendicular to the working surface
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
    • B23Q5/00—Driving or feeding mechanisms; Control arrangements therefor
    • B23Q5/02—Driving main working members
    • B23Q5/04—Driving main working members rotary shafts, e.g. working-spindles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
    • B24B19/00—Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group
    • B24B19/08—Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group for grinding non-circular cross-sections, e.g. shafts of elliptical or polygonal cross-section
    • B24B19/12—Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group for grinding non-circular cross-sections, e.g. shafts of elliptical or polygonal cross-section for grinding cams or camshafts
    • B24B19/125—Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group for grinding non-circular cross-sections, e.g. shafts of elliptical or polygonal cross-section for grinding cams or camshafts electrically controlled, e.g. numerically controlled
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
    • B24B27/00—Other grinding machines or devices
    • B24B27/033—Other grinding machines or devices for grinding a surface for cleaning purposes, e.g. for descaling or for grinding off flaws in the surface
    • B24B27/04—Grinding machines or devices in which the grinding tool is supported on a swinging arm
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
    • B24B41/00—Component parts such as frames, beds, carriages, headstocks
    • B24B41/04—Headstocks; Working-spindles; Features relating thereto
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
    • B23Q39/00—Metal-working machines incorporating a plurality of sub-assemblies, each capable of performing a metal-working operation
    • B23Q2039/006—Machines with multi-spindles

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Machine Tool Units (AREA)

Abstract

A machine tool includes a first support 30 on a first rotary machine drive 22, mounted in a non-adjustable location relative to a machine base 28. The first rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the first support relative to the machine base about a first rotational reference axis 32. A second support (34, Figure 4) on a second rotary machine drive 24 is mounted in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base. The second rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the second support relative to the machine base about a second rotational reference axis 38. The second rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first rotational reference axis. A third support 36 on a third rotary machine drive 26 is mounted in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base. The third rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the third support relative to the machine base about a third rotational reference axis 40. The third rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first and second axes. A control arrangement is configured to control the three machine drives. The support/s may carry a linear machine drive having a mount.

Description

Title: Machine Tools for Machining a Workpiece and Methods of Operation Thereof
Field of the disclosure
The present disclosure relates to machine tools for machining a workpiece and methods of operation of such machines. More particularly, it concerns increasing the versatility of these machines.
Background to the disclosure
The present applicant has developed a machine tool configuration based on two rotary machine drives arranged in fixed positions on a common machine base, with their rotational reference axes spaced apart and parallel. This configuration has axisymmetric stiffness properties in the primary motion control drives, namely the two rotary machine drives. This results in a more predictable stiffness loop and often a higher stiffness, which in turn provides higher levels of precision and repeatability. A machine tool of this form is described in WO-A-2009/093064, for example.
Figure 1 is a perspective simplified representation of a machine tool described in W02009/093064. It includes a machine base 10. First and second supports 100, 102 are mounted directly on the base for rotation about the axes of rotation of the respective rotary machine drives which are perpendicular to the plane of the machine base. Their rotational motion is indicated by arrows A and B respectively. Points 104 and 106 denote reference points associated with each support. Each point has a reference axis 108, 110 passing through it.
A mount 112 is carried by the second support 102 and is movable along a linear machine axis. Reference point 104 is on the first support, and reference point 106 is on mount 112, carried by the second support 102. Control of the position and orientation of the first support and the mount is considered herein with reference to points 104 and 106 and their associated reference axes 108 and 110.
Ghost representations 100', 102' and 112' of the first support, second support and mount are included in Figure 1 to show different orientations thereof following rotation about their respective rotational machine drives This illustrates movement to alter the angle between the reference axes 108 and 110.
Figure 2 shows a side view of a machine tool having the configuration shown schematically in Figure 1. It includes two rotary machine drives 322 and 324 which are carried by a machine base 198. A support 202 is rotated by the rotary machine drive 322 and a support 200 is rotated by the rotary machine drive 324. A linear io machine drive 318 is mounted on the support 202. A drive spindle 222 is provided on the linear machine drive 318 for carrying a tool (not shown) to be brought into engagement with a workpiece (not shown) held in a workpiece mount 224 on support 200 during a machining operation. In the arrangement of Figure 2, each of two rotary machine drives 322 and 324 is mounted onto a respective side of a central support 320 of the machine base 198. Each rotary machine drive is coupled to the adjacent side of the central support by a mounting 326, 328, which extends horizontally between the respective machine drive and the support. The central support or slab thus carries the weight of each machine drive on either side. As a result, forces generated during operation of the machine tool act via the machine drives in opposite directions on the central support 320. Thus, the central support resists these forces in a state of tension or compression, rather than in bending, as would be the case with a machine drives mounted on top of a horizontal machine bed slab. This results in a substantially constant (and potentially stiffer) stiffness loop in the machine tool irrespective of the orientations of the supports 200, 202. This serves to further reduce errors during operation of the machine.
A thermal/stiffness loop 310 is marked on Figure 2. As the supports 200 and 202 are rotated to present different parts of a workpiece on workpiece mount 224 to a machine tool carried by spindle 222, the thermal loop 310 is substantially unchanged, thereby )c) avoiding inaccuracies resulting from a variable thermal loop.
Summary of the disclosure
The present disclosure provides a machine tool comprising: a machine base; a first support on a first rotary machine drive mounted on the machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base, wherein the first rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the first support relative to the machine base about a first rotational reference axis; a second support provided on a second rotary machine drive mounted on the base in a non-adjustable location relative to the base, wherein the second rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the second support relative to the machine base io about a second rotational reference axis, and the second rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first rotational reference axis; and a control arrangement, wherein the machine tool includes a third support provided on a third rotary machine drive mounted on the machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the base, the third rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the third support relative to the machine base about a third rotational reference axis, and the third rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first and second rotational reference axes, and the control arrangement is configured to control the first, second and third rotary machine drives As discussed above in relation to Figures 1 and 2, the present applicant has developed a machine tool configuration based on two rotary machine drives arranged in fixed positions on a common machine base, with their rotational reference axes spaced apart and parallel. Several benefits are derived from basing the machine tool's configuration on these two rotary machine drives in terms of the reliability and reproducibility of machine motions.
The use of such machines has led to requirements from users to increase the 3o functionalities provided on the rotary machine drives. For example, it may be desirable to include probes, additional drive spindles, smoothing and dressing tools. However, it has been found to be increasingly difficult to successfully mount all desired peripherals on the two supports carried by the rotary machine drives.
Furthermore, the presence of multiple peripherals has been found to lead to other problems, such as restricting the space available to carry out machine alignments or adjustments or making it difficult to fit protective covers around important components such as probes.
Increasing the spacing between the rotary machine drives could increase the space available and also allow a linear machine drive mounted on one of the rotary machine drives to have a longer stroke length to increase its capabilities. However, this will tend to amplify positioning errors of measurements made by position encoders io mounted on the rotary machine drives.
According to the present disclosure, a further rotary machine drive is included in the machine tool in order to be able to accommodate further machine functionalities whilst retaining the benefits of the two rotary machine drive-based configuration. As the third rotary machine drive is mounted on the machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the base, it may benefit from the same axisymmetric stiffness properties as the other two rotary machine drives.
In preferred examples, the rotary machine drives include rotary bearings, preferably both journal and thrust bearings. Large thrust bearings may be mounted directly upon the machine base to provide highly stiff, damped drives with a very good bearing ratio in all directions resulting in axisymmetric stiffness characteristics.
The three rotary machine drives may employ common components, reducing the overall machine cost. For example, they may employ the same or similar motor, drive, position encoder and/or bearing components.
In practice, one of the first two rotary machine drives may be designated as a "master" drive, with the other of the first two rotary machine drives aligned and adjusted with 3o reference to the master drive. For example, the rotary machine drive that carries a workpiece drive spindle may be deemed to be the master drive. The third rotary machine drive may then also be aligned and adjusted with reference to the master drive and carry peripherals which interact with components carried by the master drive.
In preferred implementations, the three rotary machine drives may be the only machine drives mounted directly on the machine base. They may be able to control the relative locations of a workpiece carried by one of the rotary machine drives and respective tools carried by each of the other rotary machine drives.
It will be appreciated that references herein to a tool carried by a rotary machine drive io encompass a wide range of tools, such as grinding wheels, probes, gauges, sensors, peripherals and the like.
The control arrangement may be operable to control the orientations of the first, second and third supports about their respective rotational reference axes, so as to govern the location of a workpiece mounted on one of the supports and tools mounted on the other supports relative to each other.
A linear machine drive may be carried on at least one of the first, second and third supports, wherein the linear machine drive carries a mount and is operable to move the mount along a linear machine axis which is orthogonal to the rotational reference axes This provides an additional degree of freedom for the machine tool and facilitates movement of a workpiece and a tool towards and away from one another. In some preferred configurations, the three rotary machine drives together with the linear machine drive may be the only machine drives of the machine tool able to govern the relative locations of a workpiece carried by one of the rotary machine drives and tool carried by another of the rotary machine drives Minimising the number of machine drives used in the machine tool serves to minimise sources of error and enable error compensation to be more effective 3o A workpiece mount may be carried on the first support, whilst the second support carries at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a workpiece on the workpiece mount.
The third support may carry at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a tool on the second support. Such a configuration provides the capability to include one or more tools on the third support for interaction with a tool on the second support.
In further examples, a workpiece mount is carried on the first support and each of the second and third supports carry at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a workpiece on the workpiece mount. Such a configuration facilitates provision a plurality of tools for engagement with a workpiece, with the ability to io divide the tools between the second and third supports Each of the second and third supports may carry a respective tool support in the form of a driven spindle, wherein the driven spindle of the second support is configured to rotate a tool mounted thereon in one rotational direction, and the driven spindle of the third support is configured to rotate a tool mounted thereon in the opposite rotational direction. Thus, provision of second and third rotary machine drives enables driven spindles rotatable in opposite directions to be located on separate independently locatable supports.
The machine base may comprise a first shared support located between the first and second rotary machine drives, with the first and second rotary machine drives mounted onto opposite sides of the first shared support, and a second shared support located between the first and third rotary machine drives, with the first and third rotary machine drives mounted onto opposite sides of the second shared support.
Thus, forces generated by the rotary machine drives acting on the shared supports are resisted in tension and compression, rather than in bending (as would be the case with known horizontal slab machine bed configurations) Furthermore, the stiffness and thermal loops of the machine tool may remain substantially independent of the 3o orientations of the rotary machine drives.
A fourth support may be provided on a fourth rotary machine drive mounted on the machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base, wherein the fourth rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the fourth support relative to the machine base about a fourth rotational reference axis, the fourth rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first, second and third rotational reference axes, and the fourth support carries at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a tool on the second support. This configuration may further enhance the versatility of the machine tool, by providing the capacity to include one or more tools on an additional support for interaction with a tool on the second support.
io The present disclosure may further provide a method of machining a workpiece using examples of a machine tool as described herein, comprising: mounting a workpiece on the workpiece mount of the first support; mounting a tool on a tool support of each of the second and third supports; and machining the workpiece using the tools.
The present disclosure may also provide a method of grinding radially inwardly-facing and radially outwardly-facing concentric surfaces of a workpiece carried by the workpiece mount of the first support using examples of a machine tool as described herein, comprising: grinding the inwardly-facing surface using a tool mounted on the driven spindle of the second support; and grinding the outwardly-facing surface using a tool mounted on the driven spindle of the third support.
According to further examples of the present disclosure, a method of machining a workpiece using examples of a machine tool as described herein, comprises. mounting a workpiece on the workpiece mount of the first support, mounting a tool on the tool support of the second support; mounting a tool on the tool support of the third support; machining the workpiece using the tool carried by the second support; and engaging the tool carried by the second support with a tool carried by the third support In addition, the present disclosure may provide a method of machining a workpiece using examples of a machine tool as described herein, comprising: mounting a workpiece on the workpiece mount of the first support, mounting a tool on the tool support of the second support; mounting a tool on the tool support of the fourth support; machining the workpiece using the tool carried by the second support; and engaging the tool carried by the second support with a tool carried by the fourth support.
io Brief description of the drawings
Known machine tool configurations and examples of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, wherein.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a simplified representation of a known machine tool configuration; Figure 2 is a side view of a machine tool having the configuration shown in Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 are a perspective view and a plan view, respectively, of an upper portion of a machine tool according to an example of the present disclosure; Figure 5 a perspective a further machine tool configuration according to another
example of the present disclosure;
Figure 6 is a plan view of another machine tool configuration according to an example of the present disclosure; Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating grinding of inner and outer cylindrical surfaces of an annular workpiece, Figure 9 is a plan view of a further machine tool configuration according to an example of the present disclosure; Figure 10 is a plan view of another machine tool configuration according to an example of the present disclosure; and $0 Figure 11 is a perspective view of three rotary machine drives together with associated shared supports.
Detailed description
The machine tool of Figures 3 and 4 has three rotary machine drives 22, 24 and 26. They are each mounted on a machine base, the upper portion 28 of which is shown in Figures 3 and 4. Each rotary machine drive is carried by the base in a non-adjustable location relative to the base. The rotary machine drive 22 carries a support 30 and is operable to rotate the support relative to the machine base about a rotational reference axis 32. Similarly, rotary machine drives 24 and 26 carry respective supports 34 and 36 and are operable to rotate the supports about corresponding rotational reference axes 38 and 40.
Rotary machine drive 22 has a drive spindle 42 carried by its support 30. The drive spindle carries a workpiece mount 44 and is operable to rotate the workpiece mount about a reference axis 46 which is perpendicular to the rotational reference axes 32, 38 and 40. A linear machine drive (not visible in the Figures) is carried by the support 30 which is arranged to move the drive spindle 42 along a direction parallel to the reference axis 46.
The rotary machine drive 24 has two drive spindles 48 and 50 mounted on its support 34, by way of example. The spindles may be used to rotate tools such as grinding wheels. The grinding wheels may have different surface profiles or different types of grinding surface for selective engagement with a workpiece held by workpiece mount 44. Similarly, the rotary machine drive 26 carries two drive spindles 52 and 54, by way of example.
During calibration of the machine tool shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rotary machine drive 22 may be designated as a "master" drive with each of the rotary machine drives 24 and 26 aligned in turn (or "paired") with the master drive Each pair of drives (22, 24 and 22, 26) may be treated as two independent set-ups io The locations of each of the rotary machine drives 24 and 26 in a plane perpendicular to the rotational reference axis 32 may be selected for a given machine tool according to particular requirements. They may be selected with regard to minimising the footprint of the machine tool whilst also providing sufficient space around each rotary machine drive. Figure 5 illustrates how the rotary machine drives shown in Figures 3 and 4 can be arranged about the rotary machine drive 22 to subtends a greater angle with the rotational reference axis 32 in a plane perpendicular to that axis Figure 6 shows a further example which differs from that shown in Figures 3 and 4 in that the rotary machine drive 26 carries a drive spindle 60 and probes 62 and 64 for use in combination with tools carried by the rotary machine drive 24. In calibration of this machine tool configuration, the rotary machine drive 24 may be designated as the master drive, with each of the rotary machine drives 22 and 26 aligned in turn with the io master drive. The rotary machine drive 26 may carry a linear machine drive (not shown in Figure 6) on its support 36 on which the drive spindle 60 and probes 62 and 64 are mounted for moving these components towards and away from the rotary machine drive 24.
A further example of a machine tool configuration in accordance with the present disclosure will now be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. It can be beneficial in some grinding operations to be able to rotate tools in opposite directions. However, rotating the same spindle in opposite directions is likely to reduce its lifespan significantly. The inventor realised that in a machine tool according to the present disclosure, spindles rotated in opposite directions may be conveniently arranged on separate rotary machine drives.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a grinding operation able to benefit from such a configuration. They show the grinding of inner and outer circumferential surfaces 68 and 70, respectively, of an annular bearing component 72. Figure 7 shows the use of a relatively large diameter grinding wheel 74 to grind the outer circumferential surface 70 of the bearing component. Figure 8 shows the use of a smaller diameter grinding wheel 76 to grind the inner circumferential surface 68 of the bearing component. With the grinding wheels both rotated in an anticlockwise direction as $0 viewed in Figures 7 and 8 (and the bearing component rotated clockwise and anticlockwise, respectively, to perform climb grinding in each case), the smaller grinding wheel needs to engage the opposite side of the bearing component's location to that engaged by the larger grinding wheel. This motion involves relatively large (and therefore time-consuming) rotary and linear movements. However, if one of the wheels is rotated in the opposite direction to the other, both wheels can engage with the same side of the bearing component's location, thereby avoiding these large translational movements Similar considerations apply if creep grinding is used instead of climb grinding.
Figure 9 shows a plan view of three rotary machine drives in a machine tool according to an example of the present disclosure. As before, rotary machine drive 22 carries a workpiece mount 44. The second rotary machine drive carries a turret 78 on its support. The turret 78 in turn carries three grinding wheel drive spindles 80, 82 and 84, on which respective different grinding wheels 86, 88 and 90 are mounted. Similarly, the third rotary machine drive carries a turret 92 on its support. Turret 92 carries three drive spindles 94, 96 and 98 for rotating respective grinding wheels 120, 122 and 124. The drive spindles on turret 92 are operable to rotate in the opposite direction to those on turret 78.
Further examples of machine tools in accordance with the present disclosure may include more than three rotary machine drives as needed to suit particular requirements. For example, a machine tool having the configuration shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be further modified to include a fourth rotary machine drive HO as shown in Figure 10. The rotary machine drive 130 is operable to rotate a support 132 thereon about a rotational reference axis which is parallel with those of the other rotary machine drives. The support 132 may carry a drive spindle 134 or another component such as a probe for engagement with tools carried on another rotary machine drive thereby incorporating additional functionalities in the machine tool.
During calibration of the machine tool, the fourth rotary machine drive may be paired with one of the other rotary machine drives 24 or 26.
As illustrated in Figure 10, the rotary machine drives may be in the form of different assemblies. In the example of Figure 10, the fourth rotary machine drive 130 has a smaller diameter than the others as it only carries a single drive spindle.
Figure 11 shows the mounting of three rotary machine drives 22, 24 and 26 onto a machine base structure according to a preferred example of the present disclosure. The machine base structure includes a first shared support or slab 140 located between the rotary machine drives 22 and 24 and a second shared support or slab 142 located between the rotary machine drives 22 and 26. Each shared support has opposite planar sides (144, 146; 148, 150) which are orientated so as to be parallel with the rotational reference axes 32, 38 and 40 of the rotary machine drives and to extend between the adjacent rotary machine drives in a direction perpendicular to a plane containing the rotational reference axes of the adjacent rotary machine drives.
Preferably, a shared support or slab is located between each of the rotary machine drives that are to be paired during use of the machine tool.
Each rotary machine drive is mounted onto a respective planar side of the or each adjacent shared support. Each pair of rotary machine drives is rigidly mounted onto opposite faces of their shared support so that forces generated during operation of the machine tool act via the rotary machine drives in opposite directions on their shared support. Thus, the support resists these forces in a state of tension or compression, rather than in bending, as would be the case with a known horizontal machine bed.
This results in a substantially constant (and potentially stiffer) stiffness loop in the machine tool irrespective of the orientations of the supports on the rotary machine drives. This serves to further reduce positioning errors during operation of the machine tool.
Each shared support slab may be formed of granite, for example. Alternatively, they may be constructed from a polymer concrete with metal inserts or using cast iron for example.
It will be appreciated that references herein to perpendicular or parallel relative 3o orientations and the like are to be interpreted as defining perpendicular or parallel relationships between components within practical tolerances.

Claims (11)

  1. Claims I. A machine tool comprising: a machine base; a first support on a first rotary machine drive mounted on the machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base, wherein the first rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the first support relative to the machine base about a first rotational reference axis; a second support provided on a second rotary machine drive mounted on the io machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base, wherein the second rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the second support relative to the machine base about a second rotational reference axis, and the second rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first rotational reference axis; and a control arrangement, wherein the machine tool includes a third support provided on a third rotary machine drive mounted on the machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base, the third rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the third support relative to the machine base about a third rotational reference axis, and the third rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first and second rotational reference axes, and the control arrangement is configured to control the first, second and third rotary machine drives.
  2. 2. A machine tool of claim 1 including a linear machine drive carried on at least one of the first, second and third supports, wherein the linear machine drive carries a mount and is operable to move the mount along a linear machine axis which is orthogonal to the rotational reference axes 3o
  3. 3. A machine tool of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a workpiece mount is carried on the first support, the second support carries at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a workpiece on the workpiece mount, and the third support carries at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a tool on the second support.
  4. 4. A machine tool of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a workpiece mount is carried on the first support and each of the second and third supports carry at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a workpiece on the workpiece mount.
  5. A machine tool of claim 4, wherein each of the second and third supports car)! a respective tool support in the form of a driven spindle, the driven spindle of the io second support is configured to rotate a tool mounted thereon in one rotational direction, and the driven spindle of the third support is configured to rotate a tool mounted thereon in the opposite rotational direction.
  6. 6. A machine tool of any preceding claim, wherein the machine base comprises: a first shared support located between the first and second rotary machine drives, with the first and second rotary machine drives mounted onto opposite sides of the first shared support; and a second shared support located between the first and third rotary machine drives, with the first and third rotary machine drives mounted onto opposite sides of the second shared support.
  7. 7. A machine tool of any preceding claim, including a fourth support provided on a fourth rotary machine drive mounted on the machine base in a non-adjustable location relative to the machine base, wherein the fourth rotary machine drive is operable to rotate the fourth support relative to the machine base about a fourth rotational reference axis, the fourth rotational reference axis is parallel to and spaced laterally from the first, second and third rotational reference axes, and the fourth support carries at least one respective tool support for a tool to be engaged with a tool on the second support. $08.
  8. A method of machining a workpiece using a machine tool of claim 4 or any of claims 5 to 7 when dependent on claim 4, comprising: mounting a workpiece on the workpiece mount of the first support, mounting a tool on a tool support of each of the second and third supports; and machining the workpiece using the tools.
  9. 9. A method of claim 8 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 5 for grinding radially inwardly-facing and radially outwardly-facing concentric surfaces of a workpiece carried by the workpiece mount of the first support, comprising: grinding the inwardly-facing surface using a tool mounted on the driven spindle of the second support; and grinding the outwardly-facing surface using a tool mounted on the driven io spindle of the third support.
  10. 10. A method of machining a workpiece using a machine tool of claim 3, or claim 5 or claim 6 when dependent on claim 3, comprising: mounting a workpiece on the workpiece mount of the first support; mounting a tool on the tool support of the second support; mounting a tool on the tool support of the third support; machining the workpiece using the tool carried by the second support; and engaging the tool carried by the second support with a tool carried by the third support.
  11. 11. A method of machining a workpiece using a machine tool of claim 7, comprising: mounting a workpiece on the workpiece mount of the first support, mounting a tool on the tool support of the second support; mounting a tool on the tool support of the fourth support; machining the workpiece using the tool carried by the second support; and engaging the tool carried by the second support with a tool carried by the fourth support
GB2217119.3A 2022-11-16 2022-11-16 Machine tools for machining a workpiece and methods of operation thereof Pending GB2624404A (en)

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GB2217119.3A GB2624404A (en) 2022-11-16 2022-11-16 Machine tools for machining a workpiece and methods of operation thereof
PCT/GB2023/052971 WO2024105373A1 (en) 2022-11-16 2023-11-14 Machine tools for machining a workpiece and methods of operation thereof

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GB2624404A true GB2624404A (en) 2024-05-22

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WO (1) WO2024105373A1 (en)

Citations (3)

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US4597144A (en) * 1984-07-24 1986-07-01 Maschinenfabrik Diedesheim Gmbh Machine tool
CN113263392A (en) * 2021-06-11 2021-08-17 厦门大学 Large-caliber deep rise aspheric optical element milling and grinding equipment
WO2022071551A1 (en) * 2020-09-30 2022-04-07 株式会社牧野フライス製作所 Machining system

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5231587A (en) * 1990-07-12 1993-07-27 Loh Optical Machinery, Inc. Computer controlled lens surfacer
GB0801366D0 (en) 2008-01-25 2008-03-05 Cinetic Landis Grinding Ltd Machine tools and methods of operation thereof
GB2476468B (en) * 2009-12-22 2012-08-15 Cinetic Landis Ltd Machine tools and methods of operation thereof
DE102015005557A1 (en) * 2015-05-04 2016-11-10 Martin Hüttmann machine tool

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4597144A (en) * 1984-07-24 1986-07-01 Maschinenfabrik Diedesheim Gmbh Machine tool
WO2022071551A1 (en) * 2020-09-30 2022-04-07 株式会社牧野フライス製作所 Machining system
CN113263392A (en) * 2021-06-11 2021-08-17 厦门大学 Large-caliber deep rise aspheric optical element milling and grinding equipment

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WO2024105373A1 (en) 2024-05-23

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