US 12,235,621 B2
Method for aligning a workpiece in a machine tool
Robert Zimmermann, Traunstein (DE); Gero Guenther, Truchtlaching (DE); Bernhard Hajduk, Traunreut (DE); Martin Gaisser, Chieming (DE); Stefan Huber, Traunwalchen (DE); and Sebastian Jung, Palling (DE)
Assigned to DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH, Traunreut (DE)
Filed by DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH, Traunreut (DE)
Filed on Sep. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/944,238.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 210 329.4 (DE), filed on Sep. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0088649 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B23Q 15/22 (2006.01); G01B 5/00 (2006.01); G01B 11/00 (2006.01); G01B 21/04 (2006.01); G05B 19/19 (2006.01); G05B 19/401 (2006.01); G05B 19/402 (2006.01); G01B 5/004 (2006.01); G01B 5/008 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/402 (2013.01) [B23Q 15/22 (2013.01); G01B 5/00 (2013.01); G01B 5/004 (2013.01); G01B 5/008 (2013.01); G01B 11/005 (2013.01); G01B 21/042 (2013.01); G01B 21/047 (2013.01); G05B 19/19 (2013.01); G05B 19/401 (2013.01); G05B 2219/41091 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for aligning a workpiece in a working space of a machine tool having a numerical control system using a probe, the method comprising:
(1) providing three-dimensional (3D) models of the working space, the probe, and the workpiece and displaying the 3D models as a virtual workpiece and a virtual probe in a virtual working space on a display screen of the numerical control system;
(2) positioning the workpiece in the working space of the machine tool and the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space so that there is an initial coincidence between a position of the workpiece in the working space and a position of the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space;
(3) manually positioning the probe relative to the workpiece, wherein a planned probing point and a probing direction are selected in an automated manner based on a minimum distance of the virtual probe from the virtual workpiece, and the planned probing point and the probing direction are displayed in the virtual working space;
(4) determining a quality of the planned probing point and enabling a probing process based on the quality;
(5) triggering a probing operation based on the probing process being enabled, and determining coordinates of a probing point,
(6) recalculating the position of the workpiece using the coordinates of the probing point, and updating the position of the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space;
(7) repeating the steps (3) through (6) until a final coincidence is reached between the position of the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space and the position of the workpiece in the working space.