A band saw machine includes a working platform, a cutting machine, a vertical displacement element causing the cutting machine to move vertically, a height sensor and a central processor. The working platform includes a reference plane for placing a workpiece. The cutting machine includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel, a band saw wound on the driving wheel and the driven wheel, and a motor that electrically drives the driving wheel. The band saw includes a starting cutting tooth and a processing cutting tooth sequentially arranged. The height sensor detects a starting cutting point of the workpiece farthest from the reference plane. The central processor receives information of a position of the starting cutting point, and controls a displacement speed of the vertical displacement element and a first rotational speed of the motor to cause the starting cutting tooth to first cut at the starting cutting point.

A method computes reference signals for a machine with redundant positioning by first generating a reference trajectory according to an ordered list of points. Then, using a filter or by choosing the value of the reference at each sampling time, a reference trajectory for the slow subsystem is produced. Next, determine whether the reference trajectory and the slow subsystem reference trajectory violate feasibility constraints, and if true, slowing down the reference trajectory and repeating with the generation of the slow subsystem reference trajectory. The slow subsystem reference trajectory is sent, via a model predictive control block, to a slow positioning subsystem controller, and a combination of the slow subsystem reference trajectory and the reference trajectory is sent to a fast positioning subsystem controller.

A numerical control device includes a CPU for outputting a position command value of a servomotor; an IC including a servo controller for outputting a current command value to an amplifier for driving the servomotor, and an I/O unit for inputting and outputting an external signal; a DSP for reading the position command value and performing control so as to move the servomotor to a position indicated by the position command value; and an inter-device communication path between the CPU and the IC. The IC includes an internal bus connected to a communication interface connected to the inter-device communication path, and the I/O unit; and an internal communication path for directly transmitting a signal between the servo controller and the I/O unit without passing through the internal bus.

A parameter setting apparatus includes a calculator calculating a first resonance frequency .sub.r1 of a structure composed of a table, a rotor of a drive motor, and an object and a second resonance frequency .sub.r2 of a structure composed of a stator of the drive motor and a base using equations given below, and a setter setting a frequency band to be removed for a first damping filter based on the calculated first resonance frequency .sub.r1 and setting a frequency band to be removed for a second damping filter based on the second resonance frequency .sub.r2.

A system and method for a self-contained modular manufacturing device having self-contained modular tools configured to collectively accomplish a specific task or function. In an embodiment, the modular device includes a housing that has a mount configured to engage a robotic arm or other form of maneuvering actuator (such a crane or gantry). The housing may provide a base by which additional modules may be mounted and coupled. The modular device also includes an interface configured to communicate with a remote control system capable of control the robotic arm. The modular device also includes one or more other modules that are configured to accomplish a particular task or function. Such modules are sometimes called end-effectors and work in conjunction with each other to accomplish tasks and functions. In a self-contained modular manufacturing device, individual processors disposed in the housing may be configured to control the functional tools (e.g., each end-effector) independent of the overall manufacturing control system.

Optimized positioning paths for multi-axis CNC machining can be generated based on the machine tool kinematics, machine axes travel limits, machine axis velocity and acceleration limits, and machine positioning methodologies. Machine axes travel limits and machine positioning methodologies are incorporated in order to ensure that the developed positioning paths do not violate machine axes travel limitations. Multi-axis positioning paths are developed to avoid collisions with dynamically changing in-process stock and other surroundings, including fixtures and both moving and non-moving components of the machine. Positioning tool path customizations give the user the flexibility to apply safety based constraints to the automatically generated tool paths. The disclosed automatic positioning path planning and optimization methods are used to develop a process for part manufacturing using CNC machining in order to reduce the manufacturing cycle time.

Centering apparatuses and methods for precision placement of a product or component, such as a ceramic honeycomb body, prior to a post-production processing steps are provided. In particular, after extrusion of a component or ware, the component or ware oftentimes requires one or more post-production processing steps in order to obtain a final product. The centering apparatuses and methods described herein provide for the precise and accurate centering of the product (or component) prior to performing these post-production processing steps, thereby obtaining repeatable, consistent, high-quality final products.

The tool trajectory display device (10) includes: a start point coordinate storing unit (13) that stores a plurality of coordinate positions of a drive shaft as start point coordinate positions; a movement amount determining unit (14) that determines a movement amount of the drive shaft from a first start point coordinate position to a second start point coordinate position; a trajectory calculation unit (15) that calculates a first actual trajectory of a tool tip point of the machine tool from the actual position based on the first start point coordinate position after adding the movement amount and the repetition portion, and that calculates a second actual trajectory of the tool tip point from the actual position based on the second start point coordinate position and the repetition portion; and a display unit (16) that superimposedly displays the first and the second actual trajectories.

Centering apparatuses and methods for precision placement of a product or component, such as a ceramic honeycomb body, prior to a post-production processing steps are provided. In particular, after extrusion of a component or ware, the component or ware oftentimes requires one or more post-production processing steps in order to obtain a final product. The centering apparatuses and methods described herein provide for the precise and accurate centering of the product (or component) prior to performing these post-production processing steps, thereby obtaining repeatable, consistent, high-quality final products.

Disclosed is a method of positioning a limp flat workpiece is described, wherein the flat workpiece is provided in a random state on a manipulation surface. Subsequently, a camera image showing the flat workpiece is generated, and a grippable edge of the flat workpiece is identified by extracting characteristic image features of the camera image. Thereafter, a first gripping point for a first gripper and a second gripping point for a second gripper are determined, the second gripping point being spaced apart from the first gripping point. Also disclosed is positioning device for positioning a limp flat workpiece is presented.