Elements of Machine Tool Control Systems

Functions of Machine Tools Control Systems

To ensure a given sequence of the operating

cycle. To establish inter linkages among different operative motions of the machine tool To prevent conflicting simultaneous engagements of motions from two or more different mechanisms. To raise the productivity, reliability, ease of handling and degree of automation of a machine tool.

Types of Control System Devices

Mechanical,
Electrical and electronic, hydraulic pneumatic devices and

their combinations are employed in machine-

tool control systems.

In program-controlled machine tools, the

working cycle is performed automatically using NC-CNC programs.

Requirements made to control systems

The requirements made to control systems are: Safety Ease and convenience of manipulation, fast operation, mnemonic controls (i.e., coordination of the direction of hand motion with the direction of the controlled unit travel), accuracy of operation (differing depending on application) and automatic performance.

Components of Mechanical Control Systems

They generally include the following: (a) control member, actuated by the operator's hand. This control member may have the form of handle, push-button, limit switch, etc.; (b) a transmitting member is designed generally in the form of mechanical, electrical, electronic, hydraulic and pneumatic devices; (c) an operative member could be like a shifting fork, lever, rack, etc.

Examples of Mechanical Type Machine tool Control Systems

Example I
Figure 1 shows a multi-handle control system

with all the handles mounted on a common axis. These handles, 1, 2, 3, operate gear clutches 8, 7, and 6, respectively, through gear sectors -4 meshing with racks 5. Such systems are inconvenient to operate, because manipulation with a number of separate handles tires out operator and takes much time.

Fig. 1 Control Mechanism

Example 2
In this respect, single-lever control

systems are more convenient. Such a system can operate two gear clusters at once (Fig. 2). When handle 3 is pivoted in the horizontal plane in any direction, pinion 10 turning together with shaft 4 will displace rack 11 and thereby gear cluster 12 along shaft 9 to one of the cluster's three corresponding positions.

Fig. 2 Control Mechanism

 When pivoted in the vertical plane about pin 1,

handle 3 moves shaft 4 axially up and down, circular rack 8 turns gear wheel 7 with shaft 6 and shifts fork 14, thus moving gear cluster 13 along shaft 5 to one of its two positions. When handle 3 is outside the vertical slots in shield 2, both gear clusters 12 and 13 will be in neutral positions

Interlocking Devices, Travel-Limiting Devices, Overload Protection Devices

Interlocking devices (mechanical, electrical,

hydraulic, or combined) serve to prevent simultaneous engagement of several mechanisms with conflicting actions. There is a great variety of interlocking device arrangements. Figure 3 a and b illustrates schematically the interlocking of two handles fixed on parallel shafts. As handle 1 engages the transmission, handle 2 is in a neutral position (Fig. 3a); when handle 2 engages the transmission handle 1 goes to a neutral position (Fig. 3b).

Fig. 3 Diagram of an interlocking device

(a)

(b)

Travel-limiting devices
Travel-limiting devices are of two types: extreme-position and size-providing devices. The extreme-position limiting devices are so adjusted as to have the traveling machine unit stop 3 or 4 mm short of the dangerous end position. Thus, the accuracy of 0.5 to 1 mm, and sometimes several millimeters provided by these devices, is quite adequate.

 The size-providing travel-limiting devices should

limit the travel with considerably greater accuracy than the extreme-position type, because they determine the accuracy of the machined workpiece. A moving machine unit can be stopped in the required positions by ordinary or snap-acting limit switches, by mechanical or combined electromechanical or electro-hydro-mechanical devices.

 The principle of the mechanical systems in

precise travel-limiting devices is that at a definite point on its line of travel the movable unit of the machine tool meets a positive (dead) stop, secured to some stationary machine part. As a result, the kinematic chain of the drive to the moving unit is disengaged. This may be done in various ways.

Example 1
According to Fig. 3, for instance, slide 2 is

stopped when it meets positive stop 1, and friction clutch 3 starts to slip. This continues until the electric motor is stopped or the slide is withdrawn from the stop by, reversing the motor. Instead of the friction clutch, a safety claw clutch can be used.

Example 1

Fig. 3 travel limit device -1

Example 2
Figure 5 shows the schematic diaram of a device with the

drop worm. Motion is transmitted from shaft 2 through gears z1- z2, shaft 3, a universal joint and shaft 4 with freely mounting worm 5 to worm wheel 9. Worm is connected to shaft 4 by means of safety overload clutch 6 and is housed in cradle 7. Cradle 7 is supported by a knife edge, 10, on lever system 8. When the unit reaches positive - stop 1, worm wheel 9 stops rotating and worm 5 continues to move to the right under the torque by screw action, shifting the movable clutch member to the right by acting on a second knife edge 11, resulting in counterclockwise swinging of lever system 8. As a result, cradle 7 comes out of support from knife edge, 10 and drops together with the drop worm 5 and shaft 4 due to the pull of gravity. This brings the worm out of mesh from the worm wheel.

Figure 5 schematic diagram of a device

with the drop worm.

10 11