Provided is a machine tool which can suppress vibration of a spindle head. A machine tool according to one embodiment includes;\: a pair of guide rails which are provided on a surface of a column facing a spindle head side, and which guide the spindle head in a third direction; and a pair of drive shafts which are disposed between the pair of guide rails and are for the spindle head to move relatively in the third direction. When seen from the third direction, the center between the pair of guide rails and the center between the pair of drive shafts are positioned inside a main spindle of the spindle head.

A method for determining the preload value of the screw based on thermal error and temperature rise weighting. Firstly, thermal behavior test of the feed shaft under typical working conditions is carried out to obtain the maximum thermal error and the temperature rise at the key measuring points in each preloaded state. Then, a mathematical model of the preload value of the screw and the maximum thermal error is established; meanwhile, another mathematical model of the preload value of the screw and the temperature rise at the key measuring points is also established. Finally, the optimal preload value of the screw is obtained. The thermal error of the feed shaft and the temperature rise of the moving components are comprehensively considered, improving the processing accuracy and accuracy stability of the machine tool, and ensuring the service life of the moving components such as bearings.

A key duplicating machine and duplicating process are disclosed. The key duplicating machine comprises a base, a main axis processing device, a detecting device, a feeding device, a clamping device and a drive device. The base comprises a vertical plate and a horizontal plate, separates the horizontal plate into a front part and a rear part. The main axis processing device and the detecting device are both flexibly connected to the vertical plate and arranged on the side facing the front part. The base separates the processing area from the drive area so that processing residues produced in the processing area will not easily invade the drive area, ensuring that the drive area will be clean and free from contamination, reducing the probability of damage to the motor, guide rail and other structures in the drive area, and increasing the stability and lifespan of the key duplicating machine.

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.

The low profile of the flexible tooling system disclosed allows for flexible tooling to be added to nearly all CNC machines with an accommodating z-axis height and allows easier relocation of the system from one CNC machine to another. The system includes one or more pods, each of the pods of the system replacing the function of four independent actuators of earlier systems but operating with a shared mechanical frame. Arranging the mechanism into groups of four allows for greater density of part support spacing, minimizes cable requirements, and allows for air, vacuum, and vacuum sensor requirements be localized on each pod. The pods allow for part supports to be spaced as close as 6″ in the x and y axis. An increased variable position assembly density allows for greater flexibility to hold complicated parts.

A machine tool for detecting a brake failure more reliably in a mechanism that stops the rotation of a vertical shaft by at least two brakes includes a ball screw extended in a vertical direction, a driving motor that rotates the ball screw, a movable part that vertically moves along the ball screw in accordance with the rotation of the ball screw driven by the driving motor, at least two brakes that prevent a fall of the movable part while power supply to the driving motor is stopped, a brake controller that releases at least one of the at least two brakes while power supply to the driving motor is stopped, and a detector that detects presence/absence of a fall of the movable part or a fall distance of the movable part resulting from the release of the at least one brake, thereby detecting a trouble of an unreleased one of the at least two brakes.

A machine tool for detecting a brake failure more reliably in a mechanism that stops the rotation of a vertical shaft by at least two brakes includes a ball screw extended in a vertical direction, a driving motor that rotates the ball screw, a movable part that vertically moves along the ball screw in accordance with the rotation of the ball screw driven by the driving motor, at least two brakes that prevent a fall of the movable part while power supply to the driving motor is stopped, a brake controller that releases at least one of the at least two brakes while power supply to the driving motor is stopped, and a detector that detects presence/absence of a fall of the movable part or a fall distance of the movable part resulting from the release of the at least one brake, thereby detecting a trouble of an unreleased one of the at least two brakes.

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.

A power tool includes a pneumatic motor with an output shaft, a spindle that is drivingly connected to the output shaft via a drive gear to provide a rotational movement to the spindle and via a feed gear to provide a translational movement to the spindle. A cylinder that governs the gear transmission to the feed gear is arranged to be translated between a retraction gearing position and an advancement gearing position. The retraction gearing includes a retraction torque limiting coupling adapted to be released when an operational torque (T) exceeds a retraction threshold torque (T.sub.R) in order to terminate retraction. A lock mechanism is arranged to selectively block the cylinder in the retraction gearing position through engagement between a tooth of a ratchet on the lock mechanism and a shoulder on the cylinder. The lock mechanism assures that the cylinder is kept in the retraction gearing position during an initial phase of the retraction of the spindle.

A lathe includes a spindle rotatable on a spindle axis, a tool post to which a tool is attachable, an X1-axis ball screw extended in an X1-axis direction perpendicular to the spindle axis and capable of moving the tool post in the X1-axis direction, and an X1-axis support bearing provided on an end of the X1-axis ball screw with respect to the X1-axis direction to restrict movement of the X1-axis ball screw in the X1-axis direction. The tool post is provided with an X1-axis ball screw nut engaged with the X1-axis ball screw. The X1-axis ball screw nut is movable in the X1-axis direction according to rotation of the X1-axis ball screw. The direction that the X1-axis ball screw nut approaches the X1-axis support bearing faces the same direction as the direction that the tool cuts into the workpiece.