A rail drill drive train can include a common drive end between a single drive motor and a common gear. A speed train end can extend from the common gear to rotate the drill spindle. A feed train end can independently extend from the common gear to advance and retract the drill spindle. The speed train end can include a sprag gear so that, without unmeshing any gears, the drill spindle is not unnecessarily rotated in the reverse direction when the drive motor is reversed to retract the drill spindle. A rail drill control circuit and related sensors can enable automatic operation throughout the complete drilling cycle without any manual input from the user other than starting the cycle. Such a fully automatic drilling cycle can minimize overall cycle time to preserve battery life and can free the user to perform other tasks between drill moving and clamping operations.

Spindle for carrying out machining assisted by non-ultrasonic axial oscillations, including a tool-bearing shaft, and an exciting portion, for subjecting the shaft to non-ultrasonic axial oscillations, especially during its rotation. The exciting portion including a first exciting stage, having at least one piezoelectric actuator, and a second exciting stage, having at least one piezoelectric actuator, having a non-zero axial overlap with the first exciting stage, the actuators of the two stages being arranged so that their effects add.

A portable electrical drilling assembly includes an electric motor rotating a gear contained within a gear box housing, a connector coupling the gear to a splined shaft with the splined shaft extending within and engaging an internal surface of a cutter or reamer with the shaft and cutter/reamer defining a cutter-spline drive, and a pivoting feed mechanism coupled to the gear box housing to move a spindle for receiving the cutter or reamer. The gear rotation rotates the splined shaft and reamer/cutter to drill/ream a hole, with the pivoting of the feed mechanism controlling the depth of the drilled or reamed hole. The separate coupling of the splined shaft and cutter/reamer and interchangeability of cutters/reamers allows the assembly to be used in a confined space while still achieving deep drilling of holes in workpieces. The cutter-spline drive can also be used in other drilling assemblies.

A portable electrical drilling assembly includes an electric motor rotating a gear contained within a gear box housing, a connector coupling the gear to a splined shaft with the splined shaft extending within and engaging an internal surface of a cutter or reamer with the shaft and cutter/reamer defining a cutter-spline drive, and a pivoting feed mechanism coupled to the gear box housing to move a spindle for receiving the cutter or reamer. The gear rotation rotates the splined shaft and reamer/cutter to drill/ream a hole, with the pivoting of the feed mechanism controlling the depth of the drilled or reamed hole. The separate coupling of the splined shaft and cutter/reamer and interchangeability of cutters/reamers allows the assembly to be used in a confined space while still achieving deep drilling of holes in workpieces. The cutter-spline drive can also be used in other drilling assemblies.

A machining device including a framework, a transmission shaft and a drive mechanism including a rotation member for driving the shaft in rotation about its axis, a drive member in helical connection with the shaft to drive the translation thereof along its axis with a feed movement, according to the relative rotational speed of the rotation and drive members. The drive member is mounted with the ability to effect translational movement with respect to the framework along the axis and is positioned between the rotation member and an end for coupling of the shaft to a cutting tool, while an electromechanical actuator is mounted in a fixed frame of reference associated with the framework in front of the drive member to which it can be coupled in order to cause it to oscillate translationally so as to superpose an axial oscillation component with the feed movement.

A tool drive with spindle shaft for a chip-forming machining includes at least one electromagnetic axial actuator and a control and/or regulation apparatus for the operation of the axial actuator for changing the position of the spindle shaft along the longitudinal axis, wherein the control and/or regulation apparatus is designed to drive the axial actuator for the generation of microvibration movement of the spindle shaft, independently of and superimposable on a feed movement, in order to affect the chip size and chip shape of the removed material, wherein at least one axial magnetic bearing and/or one linear motor is provided as at least part of the axial actuator, wherein the regulation and/or control apparatus includes a memory unit and/or a function generation unit, and is configured to specify setpoint values of the oscillation curve of the microvibration movement depending on geometrical and or physical data of the workpiece and/or process variables that are measured or determined indirectly and/or control inputs, so that the control and/or regulation apparatus is configured to adjust an axial microvibration movement of the spindle shaft, independently of and superimposed on a feed movement, in such a way as to affect the chip size and chip shape of the removed material created when drilling.

A tool drive with spindle shaft for a chip-forming machining includes at least one electromagnetic axial actuator and a control and/or regulation apparatus for the operation of the axial actuator for changing the position of the spindle shaft along the longitudinal axis, wherein the control and/or regulation apparatus is designed to drive the axial actuator for the generation of microvibration movement of the spindle shaft, independently of and superimposable on a feed movement, in order to affect the chip size and chip shape of the removed material, wherein at least one axial magnetic bearing and/or one linear motor is provided as at least part of the axial actuator, wherein the regulation and/or control apparatus includes a memory unit and/or a function generation unit, and is configured to specify setpoint values of the oscillation curve of the microvibration movement depending on geometrical and or physical data of the workpiece and/or process variables that are measured or determined indirectly and/or control inputs, so that the control and/or regulation apparatus is configured to adjust an axial microvibration movement of the spindle shaft, independently of and superimposed on a feed movement, in such a way as to affect the chip size and chip shape of the removed material created when drilling.

Provided is a machining apparatus capable of improving the positioning accuracy of a machining tool as compared to conventional machines. A machining apparatus 1 includes a rotating tool, a machining tool provided on an outer periphery of the rotating tool, and a spindle head adapted to rotatably support the rotating tool. The machining apparatus includes a driving portion configured to move the spindle head in a direction perpendicular to an axis of rotation R of the rotating tool, a position sensor configured to measure a position of the spindle head on a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation R, and a control unit configured to control the driving portion so as to move the machining tool in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation R of the rotating tool on the basis of the position of the spindle head.

Provided is a machining apparatus capable of improving the positioning accuracy of a machining tool as compared to conventional machines. A machining apparatus 1 includes a rotating tool, a machining tool provided on an outer periphery of the rotating tool, and a spindle head adapted to rotatably support the rotating tool. The machining apparatus includes a driving portion configured to move the spindle head in a direction perpendicular to an axis of rotation R of the rotating tool, a position sensor configured to measure a position of the spindle head on a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation R, and a control unit configured to control the driving portion so as to move the machining tool in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation R of the rotating tool on the basis of the position of the spindle head.

A machining method for at least one shaping machining operation can include carrying out a machining operation over a first distance using a cutting tool which is subjected to axial oscillations as it moves forward, then reducing the amplitude of the axial oscillations while continuing to drive the cutting tool in terms of rotation.