Provided is a numerical controller that can suppress a sudden change in the angle of a rotary axis in the vicinity of a singular point and can also be compatible with any machine configuration. A numerical controller for numerically controlling a designated direction of an axis of a movement axis member by two or more rotary axes. The numerical controller comprises a singular point distance calculation unit for calculating each singular point distance from a rotary axis direction of each of the two or more rotary axes and the designated direction based on an operation command, a rotary axis extraction unit for extracting a control rotary axis for controlling the designated direction based on the singular point distance calculated by the singular point distance calculation unit, and a pulse generation unit for generating a pulse for driving the control rotary axis based on the control rotary axis extracted by the rotary axis extraction unit. The rotary axis extraction unit compares the singular point distances with a preset threshold to extract, as the control rotary axis, the rotary axis exceeding the threshold, or comparing the singular point distances with each other to extract the rotary axis having a larger singular point distance as the control rotary axis.

In a numerical control device for performing a control axis switch, each of a plurality of control axis units includes an axis movement amount conversion unit configured to convert a movement amount of a servo motor into a movement amount corresponding to each of the control axis units of the plurality of control axis units, an axis position data storage unit, and a control object axis position data storage unit configured to store an axis position of a control object at a time when the control object is separated from a single drive unit, and an axis position stored in the axis position data storage unit is configured to be updated by using the movement amount of the servo motor, regardless of whether or not the control object is connected by a control axis switch unit to the control axis unit.

Machine elements can be displaced along disjoined path sections by position-controlled machine axes. Movement guidance of the machine elements from the end of a path section to the beginning of a directly following path section along a previously unknown path is provided, wherein location, velocity and acceleration are continuous along the previously unknown path and at the transitions between the path sections and the previously unknown path. Velocity, acceleration and jerk are limited. A preliminary axis guidance and a corresponding required axis time is determined for each of the axes. A greatest required axis time is determined therefrom which is then set as a final axis guidance for this axis. For other axes whose preliminary axis times are smaller than the greatest required axis time, the respective preliminary axis guidance is matched to the greatest required axis time, which is then adopted for the other axes as final axis guidance.

Machine elements can be displaced along disjoined path sections by position-controlled machine axes. Movement guidance of the machine elements from the end of a path section to the beginning of a directly following path section along a previously unknown path is provided, wherein location, velocity and acceleration are continuous along the previously unknown path and at the transitions between the path sections and the previously unknown path. Velocity, acceleration and jerk are limited. A preliminary axis guidance and a corresponding required axis time is determined for each of the axes. A greatest required axis time is determined therefrom which is then set as a final axis guidance for this axis. For other axes whose preliminary axis times are smaller than the greatest required axis time, the respective preliminary axis guidance is matched to the greatest required axis time, which is then adopted for the other axes as final axis guidance.

An apparatus for machining an object includes a wheel having a first circular surface, a second circular surface oriented parallel to the first circular surface, a first rim surface extending from the first circular surface at a first edge, and a second rim surface extending from the second circular surface at a second edge and towards the first rim surface. A gradient of the first rim surface has a radial component, and a gradient of the second rim surface has a radial component. The first edge defines a curved surface between the first circular surface and the first rim surface, and the second edge defines a curved surface between the second circular surface and the second rim surface.

A method for designing a designing a product manufacturing process has been developed. First, a final manufacturing assembly is loaded into a manufacturing process design engine. Next, clearance and interference checks are performed for all objects used during the manufacturing process with an interference and clearance calculation engine. The checks are based on data retrieved from an interference and clearance database (ICD). If an interference or inadequate clearance is detected by the design engine, the manufacturing operation is redesigned. If no interference or inadequate clearance is detected, the manufacturing operation is optimized with a manufacturing process optimization engine. The product manufacturing process is finalized once the optimization is complete.

A numerical control device includes: a command analysis unit that analyzes a processing program which includes, in one block, a first command including a numerical value defining shaft operation, a second command including any of a preparation function command, a speed command, a main shaft rotation command, a tool exchange command, and an auxiliary command, and a third command defining the execution timing of the second command; and a command information generation unit that generates command information of the second command on the basis of the first command and the third command which have been analyzed by the command analysis unit.

A system and a method for optimizing a rotational orientation of a cylindrical workpiece for a shaping process. The system having a first scanner configured to perform a first scan of the workpiece. A processor configured to perform a first optimization using data from the first scan to determine a first amount of rotation. A turning mechanism configured to perform a first rotation of the workpiece. A second scanner configured to perform a second scan of the workpiece after the first rotation. The processor further configured to determine a second actual rotational orientation of the workpiece using the data from first scan and data from the second scan, to perform a second optimization using the data from first scan to determine a second amount of rotation. The turning mechanism further configured to perform a second rotation of the workpiece by the second amount of rotation.

Apparatus for machining an object, the apparatus comprising: a wheel including; a first circular surface; a second circular surface oriented parallel to the first circular surface; a first rim surface extending from the first circular surface at a first edge, a gradient of the first rim surface having a radial component; and a second rim surface extending from the second circular surface at a second edge and towards the first rim surface, a gradient of the second rim surface having a radial component, the first edge defining a curved surface between the first circular surface and the first rim surface, and the second edge defining a curved surface between the second circular surface and the second rim surface.

Provided is a numerical controller that can suppress a sudden change in the angle of a rotary axis in the vicinity of a singular point and can also be compatible with any machine configuration. A numerical controller for numerically controlling a designated direction of an axis of a movement axis member by two or more rotary axes. The numerical controller comprises a singular point distance calculation unit for calculating each singular point distance from a rotary axis direction of each of the two or more rotary axes and the designated direction based on an operation command, a rotary axis extraction unit for extracting a control rotary axis for controlling the designated direction based on the singular point distance calculated by the singular point distance calculation unit, and a pulse generation unit for generating a pulse for driving the control rotary axis based on the control rotary axis extracted by the rotary axis extraction unit. The rotary axis extraction unit compares the singular point distances with a preset threshold to extract, as the control rotary axis, the rotary axis exceeding the threshold, or comparing the singular point distances with each other to extract the rotary axis having a larger singular point distance as the control rotary axis.