An air tool monitoring apparatus includes a housing having a hollow chamber formed therein, and also having an inlet and an outlet formed therein, each of the inlet and an outlet in communication with the chamber. The apparatus also includes first and second sensors for sensing condition indicative of tool usage and wear, a battery disposed in the housing, a generator for recharging the battery, and a microprocessor operatively connected to the housing and including a timer, a memory storage module, and a unique identifier. The apparatus may include a baffle for guiding air past the generator. The apparatus further includes a switch for starting and stopping the timer, and a communication device for sending data from the microprocessor to a data collection device. Methods of using the apparatus, along with systems for monitoring and reporting on usage of multiple air tools equipped with the apparatus, are also described.

A machine tool, which carries out machining on a workpiece using a tool, is equipped with a servo motor configured to cause axial movement of the tool, an imaging device configured to capture an image of the tool at a specified imaging magnification, a display unit configured to display the image captured by the imaging device, a command position calculating unit configured to, in the case that the imaging magnification is changed, calculate a movement command position of the tool on the basis of the imaging magnification before and after having been changed, so as to maintain a relative positional relationship between a specified point of the tool in the image, and an imaging center position in the image before and after the change in the imaging magnification, and a motor control unit configured to control the servo motor on the basis of the movement command position.

A method and apparatus for characterizing a cutting tool edge from an image of the cutting tool edge. Chips, cracks and other tool edge defects are measured, providing an indication of the condition of a cutting tool edge.

An apparatus is provided for measuring a tool or a cutting tool, or a complete tool including a tool holder and a tool or a cutting tool, clamped in the tool holder. A method is provided for compiling a digital image of a tool or a cutting tool, or a complete tool including a tool holder and a tool or a cutting tool, clamped in the tool holder, in particular by using the apparatus. During the method, the tool or the complete tool is sampled for the compilation of the digital image. At least one first cutting point, for example a cutting start point, and a second cutting point, for example a cutting end point, are measured for the tool or the complete tool. A cutting region is then ascertained in the digital image by using the first and second cutting points forming a collision-relevant digital twin.

A positioning apparatus for positioning a tactile or optical roughness sensor, a probe or some other measuring instrument with respect to a workpiece can be secured to a movement device of a coordinate measuring machine. The positioning apparatus has a drive that produces a relative movement between two parts of the positioning apparatus, and an inhibiting device, which inhibits the relative movement between the two parts. For this purpose, the inhibiting device has a first friction element and a second friction element each having unlubricated friction surfaces. The friction surfaces are pressed against one another with a normal force that is not variable during the operation of the positioning apparatus. A coefficient of sliding friction that is less than 0.15 acts between the friction surfaces in the case of dryness and without lubrication. Typically, the inhibiting device is arranged in a flexspline of a strain wave gearing.

A contactlessly or tactilely measuring measuring system having a multipurpose interface socket for accommodating and for connecting a contactlessly or tactilely measuring measuring device having a light transmitter and a light receiver, for determining the position of a tool or for determining the longest cutting edge of a rotating tool in a machine tool. The multipurpose interface socket has the following features: at least one mechanical stop, corresponding to a counterstop on the measuring device, for accommodating and repeatably placing the measuring device on the multipurpose interface socket; and at least one second fluid transfer point on the multipurpose interface socket, which corresponds to a first fluid transfer point on the measuring device.

The invention relates to a system for a method for controlling a machine tool with at least one replaceable tool and a workpiece, especially a mill blank, and for a method for machining the workpiece, which machine tool comprises a robot arm movable along at least 2, especially at least 3 space axes in an area of motion, which carries and moves at least one workpiece, eventually via a workpiece holder, with a control unit for controlling the machine tool. The machine tool (52) includes a sensor (46), especially a space-fixed optical sensor located thereon or associated thereto, and the detection range (42) of which overlaps the area of motion at least partially for detection of a code on the machine tool.

A tool cleaning device for a machine tool has a chip removing device which removes the chip, a moving device to which the chip removing device is attachable, a detecting device which detects a storing state of the chip to the tool of the machine tool, an information processing device which processes information according to the storing state of the chip acquired by the detecting device and judges a region where a chip removing is necessary, and a controller of the moving device which moves the chip removing device to the region where the chip removing is necessary judged by the information processing device. The chip stored on the tool is cleaned by the chip removing device.

A tool state detection system and a method thereof are provided, for instantaneously analyzing a state of a tool by sensing influence of the tool on a machine spindle or working environment during execution of a process, without the need of extra time for detecting the tool, thereby effectively controlling the current quality status of the tool to improve the efficiency of the tool.

A method for using a tool, for example a drilling tool, a chiseling tool or a grinding tool, with a mobile power tool wherein the mobile power tool determines at least one property of the tool. A mobile power tool is also disclosed.