An automation cell for performing a plurality of secondary operations on manufactured parts is for use with a manufacturing machine operable to perform primary manufacturing of the parts. The automation cell includes a cell housing, a robot with a gripper mechanism capable of loading and unloading a part between the manufacturing machine and the automation cell, a gauging station being a secondary operation device and operable to gauge a parameter of a manufactured part, a marking device for marking the manufactured part, and a vision system for verifying the marking of the manufactured part.

A crankshaft machining system includes a center hole boring device, a post-centering balance meter and a cutting device. The post-centering balance meter is configured to measure the shape of a post-centering crankshaft blank on the basis of a pair of center holes. Additionally, the post-centering balance meter is configured to set a principal axis of inertia on the basis of the shape of the post-centering crankshaft blank and generate center hole positional information for correction that indicates intersections between the principal axis of inertia and both end surfaces of the post-centering crankshaft blank. The center hole boring device is configured to bore a pair of center holes on both end surfaces of another crankshaft blank to be loaded next on the basis of the center hole positional information for correction.

A balance and runout amount adjustment system for a rotary tool includes a rotary tool constituted of a tool holder mounted on a spindle, a balance determining device configured to obtain outer circumference position data of the rotary tool and to determine a mass balance of the rotary tool based on the outer circumference position data obtained, in the course of rotation of the rotary tool and a runout determining device configured to obtain shape data of the rotary tool and to determine a runout amount of the rotary tool based on the shape data obtained, in the course of rotation of the rotary tool. The rotary tool is configured to be capable of adjustment of the mass balance based on the result of the determination made by the balance determining device and capable also of adjustment of the runout amount based on the result of the determination made by the runout determining device.

A device for striking a tool shank with a controlled force includes a tip configured to contact the shank, a plunger configured to be retracted a pullback distance from the tip and to exert a force on the tip proportional to the pullback distance when released, and a control mechanism configured to control the pullback distance. A method of reducing run-out in a machine tool comprises placing the tool in a tool holder, measuring the run-out using an indicator, identifying a high spot, manipulating the control mechanism of the striking device to select the force based on the shank diameter, and striking the shank on the high spot using the striking device.

An automation cell incorporating elements for performing secondary operations on a machined part is adapted to be disposed adjacent to a machining center for performing the primary operations on the part. The cell incorporates a robotic arm capable of being moved into position with respect to the machining center so as to load machined parts into the machining center and unload primarily machined parts for the performance of secondary operations in the cell. In a preferred embodiment the automation cell performs roll check operations on the primarily machined gear by bringing it into meshed engagement with a master gear and rotating the meshed gears and employing a sensor to monitor the roll-out of the machined gear.

The present invention provides a lathe that is provided with an eccentricity adjustment mechanism that makes it possible for electrical components that are readily affected by the environment to be eliminated from the turntable; for slip rings in particular, which exhibit problems in terms of the durability of signal transmission during high-speed rotation, to be eliminated as well, and for safe and stable adjustment of workpiece eccentricity to be easily achieved. A lathe provided with an eccentricity adjustment mechanism, in which a linear motion guide unit (6) is provided in an inclined state in an engaging part of the center part of a turntable (1) and an axial-direction-movement part (5A) of a center shaft (5); and, due to the center shaft (5) being moved, the turntable (1) moves in the radial direction by the radial pressing force generated by the linear motion guide unit (6) being inclined, and the eccentricity of the workpiece (3) is adjusted.

An optical detecting apparatus for detecting a degree of freedom error of a spindle and has a standard bar and a sensor module, and is assembled between a spindle and a rotating platform of a powered machinery. The standard bar has a rod lens and a reflection face. The sensor module has two detecting groups, an oblique laser head, and a reflected spot displacement sensor. Each detecting group emits a laser light through the rod lens along the X-axis and the Y-axis of the powered machinery. The oblique laser head emits an oblique laser light to the reflected spot displacement sensor. When the spindle of the powered machinery generates errors after rotating, the sensor module receives the changes of the laser lights to obtain the displacement change signals of the standard bar for a calculation unit to detect the errors between the spindle and the rotating platform.

A method for producing a toothed workpiece gear, wherein the workpiece gear is clamped or fastened to a workpiece spindle, and a cutting tool having cutting teeth is clamped or fastened to a tool spindle. The tool spindle and the workpiece spindle are rotationally driven at a coupling ratio of the angles of rotation thereof having a periodic non-linearity or an axial distance from each other that changes periodically. The cutting teeth machine forms left and right tooth flanks of the teeth of the workpiece gear using left and right cutting edges in a chip-removing manner. A radial run-out error or a pitch error of the cutting tool is determined. The flank line shape errors of the right and left tooth flank resulting from the radial run-out error or the pitch error are reduced by the periodic non-linearity of the coupling ratio or the periodic change in the axial distance.

A device for striking a tool shank with a controlled force includes a tip configured to contact the shank, a plunger configured to be retracted a pullback distance from the tip and to exert a force on the tip proportional to the pullback distance when released, and a control mechanism configured to control the pullback distance. A method of reducing run-out in a machine tool comprises placing the tool in a tool holder, measuring the run-out using an indicator, identifying a high spot, manipulating the control mechanism of the striking device to select the force based on the shank diameter, and striking the shank on the high spot using the striking device.

A tap machining method includes: forming a female thread by cutting while synchronizing a rotation phase of a main spindle with positions of a workpiece to be machined by the tap and the main spindle in a rotation axis direction of the main spindle, the main spindle rotating while holding a tap with a tool holder mounted on a distal end portion; and adding or subtracting an angle amount of torsional deformation of the tap generated according to a cutting speed to or from the rotation phase of the main spindle during the synchronization.