A belt sander includes a frame, a drive roller, an idler roller rotatably attached to a pivot arm, a first linear actuator configured for pivoting the pivot arm, a nose roller and a continuous abrasive belt wrapped around the drive roller, the idler roller and the nose roller. A drive motor rotates the drive roller, and an air cylinder attached to the frame and a nose roller spindle exerts a first force against the frame and a second force equal to and opposite the first force against the nose roller spindle. A first sensor senses a position of a belt edge, and a first controller receives a belt edge position signal from the first sensor and sends a command signal responsive to the position signal to the first linear actuator for expanding or contracting so as to pivot the pivot arm about a pivot point.

A belt sander includes a frame, a drive roller, an idler roller rotatably attached to a pivot arm, a first linear actuator configured for pivoting the pivot arm, a nose roller and a continuous abrasive belt wrapped around the drive roller, the idler roller and the nose roller. A drive motor rotates the drive roller, and an air cylinder attached to the frame and a nose roller spindle exerts a first force against the frame and a second force equal to and opposite the first force against the nose roller spindle. A first sensor senses a position of a belt edge, and a first controller receives a belt edge position signal from the first sensor and sends a command signal responsive to the position signal to the first linear actuator for expanding or contracting so as to pivot the pivot arm about a pivot point.

Method and apparatus for sharpening a cutting tool. In some embodiments, an abrasive endless belt is rotated in tension along a neutral plane between spaced apart first and second rollers. A guide assembly has spaced apart first and second guide surfaces which collectively converge to an intervening base surface to form a guide channel. Upon insertion of a blade of a cutting tool into the guide channel, a selected side of the blade contactingly slides against at least a selected one of the first or second guide surfaces and a first portion of a cutting edge of the blade contactingly engages the base surface to serve as a plunge depth limit stop for the blade. The endless belt is contactingly deflected by a second portion of the cutting edge away from the neutral plane to sharpen the second portion while the first portion remains in contact with the base surface.

Method and apparatus for sharpening a cutting tool. In some embodiments, an abrasive endless belt is rotated in tension along a neutral plane between spaced apart first and second rollers. A guide assembly has spaced apart first and second guide surfaces which collectively converge to an intervening base surface to form a guide channel. Upon insertion of a blade of a cutting tool into the guide channel, a selected side of the blade contactingly slides against at least a selected one of the first or second guide surfaces and a first portion of a cutting edge of the blade contactingly engages the base surface to serve as a plunge depth limit stop for the blade. The endless belt is contactingly deflected by a second portion of the cutting edge away from the neutral plane to sharpen the second portion while the first portion remains in contact with the base surface.

Method and apparatus for sharpening a cutting tool having a blade portion with a cutting edge, such as but not limited to a kitchen knife. In some embodiments, a powered sharpener has an abrasive medium that is advanced by a motor and an edge guide surface adjacent the abrasive medium, wherein the cutting edge of the cutting tool is sharpened by bringing a first portion of the cutting edge into contacting engagement with the edge guide surface and drawing a second portion of the cutting edge across the abrasive medium. A plurality of spaced apart channels are formed in the sharpened cutting edge by contactingly engaging the sharpened cutting edge with a cold forging member with sufficient force to displace portions of the sharpened cutting edge. The channels in the sharpened cutting edge constitute locally deformed, work hardened notches.

An oscillating device of a belt sander is disclosed. The belt sander includes a base, a rotating unit, an oscillating unit, and a control unit. The rotating unit is disposed on one side of the base. The rotating unit includes a motor and a roller. The oscillating unit is disposed on the other side of the base. The oscillating member includes a rolling wheel and an electric motor. The motor and the electric motor drive the roller and the rolling wheel to rotate, and the control unit controls the oscillation frequency of the electric motor. The service life of the motor and the electric motor can be prolonged, thereby improving the working efficiency of the belt sander.

A substrate processing apparatus which causes a processing tape to abut against a processing object, including: a tape supply reel configured to supply the processing tape; a tape recovery reel configured to recover the processing tape; a recovery motor configured to apply a torque to the tape recovery reel; a tape feed motor configured to feed the processing tape between the tape supply reel and the tape recovery reel; and a control unit configured to control the tape feed motor, wherein the control unit controls the torque of the recovery motor depending on a change in an outer diameter of a roll of the processing tape wound by the tape recovery reel such that tension applied to the processing tape is constant, using a feed length of the tape fed by the tape feed motor and a thickness of the processing tape.

A substrate processing apparatus which causes a processing tape to abut against a processing object, including: a tape supply reel configured to supply the processing tape; a tape recovery reel configured to recover the processing tape; a recovery motor configured to apply a torque to the tape recovery reel; a tape feed motor configured to feed the processing tape between the tape supply reel and the tape recovery reel; and a control unit configured to control the tape feed motor, wherein the control unit controls the torque of the recovery motor depending on a change in an outer diameter of a roll of the processing tape wound by the tape recovery reel such that tension applied to the processing tape is constant, using a feed length of the tape fed by the tape feed motor and a thickness of the processing tape.

A method determines state information relating to a belt grinder. The belt grinder has at least one abrasive belt for grinding a workpiece. The method includes providing measurement data relating to the belt grinder, and determining the state information from the measurement data using a machine learning system. The machine learning system is configured to determine the state information based on the provided measurement data.

Method and apparatus for sharpening a cutting tool. In some embodiments, a sharpener has a guide assembly adjacent a moveable abrasive medium. The medium is advanced at a first speed relative to the guide assembly during a coarse sharpening operation in which a user presents the cutting tool against the medium to shape a side of the cutting tool and generate distended material from the cutting edge (e.g., burrs). The medium is subsequently slowed to a lower, second speed for a fine sharpening operation in which the user presents the cutting tool against the medium to remove the distended material and provide a sharpened cutting edge.