An orienting apparatus for arranging on a turning tool and for orienting a bore or depression to be introduced or for orienting a finishing step with respect to a normal to the surface of a workpiece, comprising a main body having a through-hole for receiving the tool shank or the tool tip in an orienting direction, and at least two probe elements for oriented support on the surface of the workpiece. As a result of an orienting movement of the orienting apparatus with respect to the normal to the surface of the workpiece, all of the probe elements form an electric circuit between an electrical current source contained in the main body and the signaling device, said electric circuit being closed by a series circuit activated by the probe elements. Furthermore, a method for orienting a bore or depression or for orienting a finishing step with an orienting apparatus.

A drill bit includes a shank and a body portion defining a plurality of axially stacked, progressively sized steps. The steps include a first step and a terminal step. The first step defines two tip flutes each disposed at a tip flute angle. The body portion defines a body flute extending through the steps. The drill bit also includes an indicator band formed on a portion of the body flute and a portion of an outer surface of one of the plurality of steps.

A drill bit includes a shank, a transition portion, and a body portion defining a plurality of axially stacked, progressively sized steps. The steps include a first step and a terminal step coupled to the transition portion. The first step defines two tip flutes each disposed at a tip flute angle. The body portion defines a body flute extending from the first step to the transition portion. The drill bit also includes an indicator band formed on a portion of the body flute and a portion of an outer surface of one of the plurality of steps.

Drilling apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising: a first robot (10); a first member (30) (e.g. a pressure foot) and a drilling tool (38) both coupled to the first robot (10); a second robot (12); and a second member (52) coupled to the second robot (12); wherein the apparatus is arranged to press the members (30, 52) against opposite sides of a part to be drilled (2, 100) (e.g. an aircraft panel) so as to hold the part (2, 100) and prevent deflection of at least a portion of the part (2, 100); and the first member (30) and the drilling tool (38) are arranged such that the drilling tool (38) may drill into the portion of the part (2, 100) of which deflection is opposed from the side of the part (2, 100) pressed against by the first member (30). The robots (10, 12) may be robotic arms.

In a machine tool in which a spindle head is driven by a spindle head drive motor via a ball screw/nut mechanism, tools of different weights are each installed in the spindle head beforehand, a load torque applied to the spindle head drive motor is obtained, and relational data between the tool weight and the load torque is stored. When each tool is installed in the spindle head, the weight of the tool is estimated from, the load torque detected by a load torque detection unit while the spindle head is stopped, and the relational data between the tool weight and load torque.

The wear status of a micro-endmill tool may be inferred by monitoring the chip production rate of the tool in operation. Chips may be extracted from a work area, captured on an adhesive surface, imaged, and counted to determine the chip production rate. When the rate of chip production falls, the feed rate of the micro-endmill may be modified to a level suitable for the current state of tool wear. In this manner, costly and inconvenient work stoppages to evaluate the wear status of a tool are eliminated.

A powered high-speed cutting tool that also locates objects behind sheet material and subsequently cuts around the object. The tool incorporates at least one sensor having a transceiver emitting a signal to detect at least one from the group of object density, conductivity, distance, and identification. The sensor is housed within a sensor unit that is part of the body of the cutting tool. The sensor unit can be incorporated into the body or removable from the cutting tool. A marking unit is used to mark the cutting area of the sheet material and is generally part of or located near a sensor unit. Indicator members, such as lights, audio, and/or display screen, are used to provide information to the user.

A method and system are provided to position and drill an opening for a fastener through one or more workpieces. In the context of a method, a peen mark is formed on a workpiece at a location at which the opening is to be drilled. The method also includes utilizing a robotic vision system to identify the peen mark on the workpiece and thereafter drilling the opening configured to receive the fastener at the location designated by the peen mark. In the context of a system, the system includes a dot peen marking system configured to form a peen mark on a workpiece at a location at which the opening is to be drilled. The system also includes a robot comprising a vision system configured to identify the peen mark on the workpiece and a drilling machine configured to drill the opening at the location designated by the peen mark.

A drilling apparatus includes: a table supporting a plate; a drill machining a through-hole in the plate; an annular pressing member pressing the plate around the through-hole; a camera capturing a plate surface image through an inner space of the pressing member; and a moving device moving the drill between machining and retraction positions, the machining position being at which the drill center coincides with the pressing member center, the retraction position being a position at which the drill is positioned outside a field of view of the camera. Insertion holes distributed in a circumferential direction are formed in the pressing member, and illumination devices, each emitting light to the plate surface around the through-hole, are inserted in the respective insertion holes. An optical axis direction of each of the illumination devices inserted in the respective insertion holes and the plate surface form an angle of 25 to 60.

A power tool includes a housing that encloses a motor, and a collet configured to be driven to rotate by the motor. The collet defines a drill axis about which the collet is configured to rotate. The power tool also includes a sensor assembly having a front wall with a wall contact surface. The front wall includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion that define a gap therebetween. An object sensor is secured to the front wall proximate the gap. A support member includes a first end portion attached to the front wall and a second end portion attached to the housing. The support member extends from the housing to position the front wall forwardly of the collet such that the drill axis intersects the gap.