For an improved management of a postprocessor, for machining with a machine tool, a computer-implemented method includes providing toolpath data for machining a workpiece with a tool along a corresponding toolpath. The tool is comprised by a machine tool that is numerically controlled by a control device. Sample machine code is provided. Atrial postprocessor software component for determining machine code using toolpath data is provided. Trial machine code is determined using the trial postprocessor software component and the toolpath data. A sample code architecture of the sample machine code and a trial code architecture of the trial machine code are determined. Characteristics of the sample machine code are determined by comparing the sample code architecture with the trial code architecture, and a new postprocessor software component is determined by incorporating the characteristics into the trial postprocessor software component.

A machine tool includes: a cover; a door; a drive mechanism; a detection unit; and an operation panel that receives an operation for the machine tool. A control device of the machine tool performs: processing to control the drive mechanism such that the door is opened, based on the operation panel receiving a first opening operation; processing to obtain an actual position from the detection unit and store the actual position as an opening position of the door, based on the operation panel receiving an operation to determine a position; and processing to control the drive mechanism such that the door is located at the opening position, based on the operation panel receiving a second opening operation. An opening speed of the door during the first opening operation is slower than an opening speed of the door during the second opening operation.

A tool posture control apparatus includes a robot which supports a tool for performing a predetermined task on a target object, the robot capable of changing posture of the tool; a sensor supported by the robot; and a control device which changes the posture of the tool by controlling the robot, where the sensor measures a distance between the target object and a respective at a plurality of measurement reference positions around the tool, and the control device performs posture control process of controlling the robot in such a way that a measured-distance difference that is a difference between the distances measured by the sensor comes close to a target value.

A robotic system automatically aligns, and/or tests alignment of, a lens to a digital camera or other workpiece. The system includes an optical target, an intermediate lens and a plurality of collimators peripheral to the intermediate lens to accommodate a wide range of fields of view of the workpieces, without requiring changes in equipment hardware. When manufacturing or testing a workpiece with a relatively narrow field of view, the entire field of view of the workpiece can be filled with a view of the target through the intermediate lens, and the collimators need not be used. However, when manufacturing or testing a camera having a relatively large field of view, the intermediate lens is used to fill a central portion of the field of view with an image of the target, and the collimators are used to fill a remaining portion of the field of view with images of reticles.

A system is placed upon a target object and a machining tool. The system comprises a variety of sensors to detect adverse relative movement and position loss of the target object as it is affected by the machining tool. The system further comprises portable sensors in communication with a printed control board, configured to communicate position data to a remote computing device. The remote computing device may receive the position data, process it, and present output to a display. The system may detect position, kinematic, and mechanical issues present during the machining process by comparing the position data to thresholds, including position loss, and automatically adjust the operation of the machining tool in response.

A packaging apparatus and a method of operating the apparatus are provided. The apparatus comprises a support frame, a packaging station having a first tool, a second tool, and one or more actuators, operably coupled to at least one of the first tool and the second tool, to modify a position of the second tool with respect to the first tool; and a control unit operably coupled to the one or more actuators, wherein the one or more actuators have a first configuration, in which the first tool and the second tool are spaced from one another by a first distance, a second configuration, in which the first tool and the second tool are spaced from one another by a second distance, and a third configuration, in which the first tool and the second tool are spaced from one another by a third distance, and wherein the control unit is configured to operate in a first modality, wherein the control unit is configured to move the one or more actuators from the first configuration into the second configuration, to maintain the one or more actuators in the second configuration for a first time interval, and to move the one or more actuators from the second configuration into the first configuration.

A matching recognition method for an NC program and corresponding cutting tools includes a step of using an imaging device to capture 2-dimensional images from the cutting tools mounted at the corresponding numbered tool holders on a machine tool, a step of based on the 2-dimensional images to extract outline feature points and assembling postures of cutting tools and converting into corresponding tool-assembling strings, a step of obtaining tool demands from each of the sequential machining steps in the NC program and converting into corresponding stepwise tool-demanding strings, and a step of performing matching upon the tool-assembling strings and the stepwise tool-demanding strings to generate and output corresponding step-and-tool matching strings. In addition, an associated matching recognition system is provided to include an imaging device, an image-processing module, a step-decoding module and a matching and comparing module.

A tool management system includes a plurality of individual tool retention units that are in electronic communication with a central webserver. Each tool retention unit is designed to independently monitor a designated toolset and transmit tool use data to the webserver. The data compiled by the webserver can be routinely evaluated to ensure proper accountability of all tools within a particular workspace. Due to the autonomous nature of each unit, subsets of tools within a larger monitored collection can be added, removed or replaced without disruption of monitoring amongst the remainder of tools. In one embodiment, a tool retention unit is constructed as a chest comprising a plurality of individual, swappable drawers housed within a common frame. In use, each drawer is provided with a controller that is configured to monitor its designated toolset and transmit any tool-related data to a main controller in communication with the webserver.

A matching recognition method for an NC program and corresponding cutting tools includes a step of using an imaging device to capture 2-dimensional images from the cutting tools mounted at the corresponding numbered tool holders on a machine tool, a step of based on the 2-dimensional images to extract outline feature points and assembling postures of cutting tools and converting into corresponding tool-assembling strings, a step of obtaining tool demands from each of the sequential machining steps in the NC program and converting into corresponding stepwise tool-demanding strings, and a step of performing matching upon the tool-assembling strings and the stepwise tool-demanding strings to generate and output corresponding step-and-tool matching strings. In addition, an associated matching recognition system is provided to include an imaging device, an image-processing module, a step-decoding module and a matching and comparing module.

A system is placed upon a target object and a machining tool. The system comprises a variety of sensors to detect adverse relative movement and position loss of the target object as it is affected by the machining tool. The system further comprises portable sensors in communication with a printed control board, configured to communicate position data to a remote computing device. The remote computing device may receive the position data, process it, and present output to a display. The system may detect position, kinematic, and mechanical issues present during the machining process by comparing the position data to thresholds, including position loss, and automatically adjust the operation of the machining tool in response.