A cycle time estimator is a device configured to calculate for each block the time required for movement along a tool path specified by a NC command. The cycle time estimator divides the NC command into blocks, divides the tool path into segments, calculates segment travel times individually for the segments, and holds the correspondence between the blocks and the segments. The cycle time estimator further calculates block travel times by integrating the segments individually for the blocks and displays the blocks and the block travel times in association with one another in an editing screen for the NC command.

A machine learning device of a finish-machining amount prediction apparatus observes, as state variables expressing a current state of an environment, finish-machining amount data indicating finish-machining amounts of the respective parts of a component and accuracy data indicating the accuracy of the respective parts of a machine, to which the component is attached. Then, the machine learning device acquires determination data indicating propriety determination results of the accuracy of the respective parts of the machine, to which the component after being subjected to finish machining is attached. After that, the machine learning device learns the finish-machining amounts of the respective parts of the component in association with the accuracy data by using the state variables and the determination data.

A device configured to predict an execution time of an auxiliary function for tool change extracts an auxiliary function command for tool change from a machining program, calculates the storage position of a before-exchange tool and the storage position of an after-exchange tool, based on the auxiliary function command, and calculates a distance between tools, based on the results of the calculation. Also, the prediction device predicts the execution time of the auxiliary function command for tool change with reference to a database in which the distance between tools is associated with an actual value of the auxiliary function execution time for tool change.

A machining time prediction system divides a machining program to be executed by a machine tool into a plurality of sections, transfers the divided machining programs to arithmetic unit to calculate machining times and integrates the calculated machining times. Thus, when hardware resources of an arithmetic processing apparatus for calculating a machining time are lacking, it is possible to perform necessary calculations in cooperation with the other management apparatus or machine tool or the like, and thereby shorten a processing time.

The machine tool according to the present invention has: a function to set upper limits and lower limits for cutting conditions including a cutting width, a cutting depth, and a cutting load of a tool; a function to set a range and a modification condition of the machining program modifying the cutting width or the cutting depth of the tool; a function to modify, based on the modification condition, a movement amount of a block that orders a feeding operation of the machining program; a function to calculate a load imposed upon cutting, based on a cutting condition obtained prior to modification of the machining program and a variation in the modified movement amount; and a function to determine whether or not the calculated load and the modified movement amount fall within the set ranges between the upper limits and the lower limits of the cutting width or cutting depth and the cutting load.

A machining time-estimating method for a wire electrical discharge machine for estimating the remaining machining time (Tr) during the machining of a workpiece comprises: a step for setting a predicted machining velocity; a step for determining the actual machining velocity; a step for determining an estimated machining velocity so as to incorporate the predicted machining velocity and the actual machining velocity at a specified ratio, that is, a reference ratio; and a step for calculating remaining machining time from the estimated machining velocity. By executing the actual machining velocity-determining step to the remaining machining time-calculating step repeatedly to estimate remaining machining time moment by moment, remaining wire electrical discharge machining time is estimated with reduced error.

A cycle time estimator is a device configured to calculate for each block the time required for movement along a tool path specified by a NC command. The cycle time estimator divides the NC command into blocks, divides the tool path into segments, calculates segment travel times individually for the segments, and holds the correspondence between the blocks and the segments. The cycle time estimator further calculates block travel times by integrating the segments individually for the blocks and displays the blocks and the block travel times in association with one another in an editing screen for the NC command.

To highly accurately predict remaining machining time required for cutting, a controller of a machining time prediction device includes a storage in which a machining program is stored, a simulator that performs a simulation in which a cutting machine cuts a workpiece in accordance with the machining program to generate a control pattern in which control information of a spindle and a holder is recorded, a machining time calculator that generates, based on the control pattern, a machining time table in which remaining machining time for each step of the machining program, a machining time acquirer that acquires a step of the machining program cutting of which is performed by the cutting machine at a current time point and acquires the remaining machining time for the step of the machining program, which has been acquired, from the machining time table, and a display controller that displays the remaining machining time that has been acquired by the machining time acquirer on a display screen.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machining time estimation device for reducing the time required for estimating the machining time. The device comprises storage for storing machining program and machining setting, and machining information acquiring unit for acquiring machining information on an operating condition of a machine tool adapted to be controlled on the basis of the machining program and machining setting. The device further comprises varied element extraction unit for extracting an element varied between a plurality of said machining settings, effected block extraction unit for extracting an effected block the machining time is varied on the effect of the varied element, estimated reduction in time calculating unit for calculating on each effected block difference caused by the varied element and calculating estimated difference in time throughout the machining program, and machining time display unit for outputting the estimated difference in time.

A method of simulating a shaping process involves calculating states of objects involved in the shaping process in discrete and successive time steps with presetting of conditions, and the conditions represent input parameters of the shaping process. After a time step which is before the end of the simulated shaping process, (a) a check on the calculated states of the objects involved in the shaping process is carried out based on a quality criterion. If the check in step (a) shows that the quality criterion is not met, then (b) at least one of the following is carried out: resumption of the simulation with repeated calculation of the time step and/or a preceding time step, and continuation of the simulation with calculation of a time step following the time step. When method step (b) is carried out, the conditions are at least partially altered.