A method for aligning a workpiece in a working space of a machine tool having a numerical control system uses a probe. 3D models of the working space, probe, and workpiece are virtually displayed. The workpiece is positioned in the working space and the virtual workpiece is positioned in the virtual working space so that there is an initial coincidence between positions thereof. The probe is manually positioned relative to the workpiece, wherein a planned probing point and probing direction are selected based on a minimum distance of the virtual probe from the virtual workpiece, and are displayed. Enabling of the probing is based on quality of the planned probing point, and, when enabled, a probing operation is triggered, and coordinates of a probing point are determined. The position of the workpiece is recalculated using these coordinates, and the position of the virtual workpiece is updated.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for compensation of errors of a numerically controlled machine tool, which has at least one controllable machine axis for relative positioning of at least one workpiece relative to one or more machining devices. The method comprises detecting actual measured values of at least one input variable describing a state of the machine tool by means of sensors on the machine tool, providing at least one compensation parameter to be utilized by a control device of the machine tool on the control device of the machine tool and compensating errors on the machine tool on the basis of the compensation parameter provided to the control device. The compensation comprises the compensation of thermal errors, the compensation of geometric errors and the compensation of errors on the basis of the dynamics of the machine.

A method for monitoring the machine geometry of at least one gear cutting machine (10), having the following steps: a) measuring a workpiece in a measuring device (20) in order to determine actual data, wherein a workpiece is concerned which was previously machined in the machine (10) on the basis of specification data (VD, ΔVD, MD, ΔMD); b) correlating the actual data with the specification data (VD, ΔVD, MD, ΔMD) in order to thus determine the deviation of a geometric setting of at least one axis of the machine (10); c) storing the deviation of the geometric setting; d) repeating the steps a)-c) after the machining of further workpieces in the machine (10); e) performing a statistical evaluation of several of the stored deviations in order to determine a geometric change in the axis of the machine (10) by considering a predetermined condition and/or rule.

A machine tool for performing a cutting process on a workpiece with a cutting tool, includes: a pre-machining shape acquisition unit configured to acquire the shape of the workpiece before cutting, as a pre-machining shape; a target shape acquisition unit configured to acquire a target shape of the workpiece after cutting; a differential shape acquisition unit configured to acquire a differential shape between the pre-machining shape and the target shape; and a machining path setting unit configured to set machining paths so as to perform the cutting process on the differential shape only.

A machine tool includes: a cutting tool; rotating means; feeding means; vibrating means for reciprocatingly vibrating the cutting tool and the workpiece relative to each another; and amplitude control means for controlling the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration by the vibrating means. The cutting process is carried out by rotation of the workpiece and the cutting tool relative to each other and feeding of the cutting tool accompanied by the reciprocating vibration with said amplitude in the machining feeding direction of the cutting tool, to thereby move the cutting tool along a predetermined movement path relative to the workpiece. The movement path comprises a plurality of divisional paths divided at predetermined coordinate positions on the movement path. The amplitude control means is adapted to set the amplitude individually for each of the divisional paths.

The present disclosure provides a numerical control machine and a cutting method. The numerical control machine includes a workpiece seat for fixing a workpiece, a cutting tool, a non-contact measurement component for measuring a contour of a surface to be machined of the workpiece, a power component and a control component. The workpiece seat is rotatable relative to the cutting tool or the non-contact measurement component under driving of the power component, and/or the cutting tool is rotatable relative to the workpiece seat under the driving of the power component. Both the cutting tool and the non-contact measurement component are mounted on the numerical control machine, and distances from the workpiece seat to both is adjustable. The control component is electrically connected with the non-contact measurement component and the power component.

A machine tool for performing a cutting process on a workpiece with a cutting tool, includes: a pre-machining shape acquisition unit configured to acquire the shape of the workpiece before cutting, as a pre-machining shape; a target shape acquisition unit configured to acquire a target shape of the workpiece after cutting; a differential shape acquisition unit configured to acquire a differential shape between the pre-machining shape and the target shape; and a machining path setting unit configured to set machining paths so as to perform the cutting process on the differential shape only.

A numerical controller for correcting a deviation amount corresponding to a difference between a theoretical value and a measured value of a workpiece includes a machining unit for storing a machining path of the workpiece and an effective offset number during machining of the machining path in association with each other, a measurement unit for storing a deviation amount applied to the workpiece and a measurement point at which the deviation amount is detected in association with each other, and a correction unit for reflecting the deviation amount to the offset number corresponding to the machining path around the measurement point.

A controller uses detection information of a contact sensor or time-series data of a detection value related to a drive motor included in a rotation mechanism and/or a feed mechanism to acquire a coordinate value when a cutting tool comes into contact with a to-be-cut object or a component. The controller determines a relative positional relationship between the cutting tool and a rotation center of the to-be-cut object based on coordinate values when the cutting tool comes into contact with the to-be-cut object subjected to turning work or a reference surface whose relative positional relationship with the rotation center of the to-be-cut object is known at least at two positions different from a rotation angle position of the cutting tool during the turning work.

A machine tool includes: a cutting tool; rotating means; feeding means; vibrating means for reciprocatingly vibrating the cutting tool and the workpiece relative to each another; and amplitude control means for controlling the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration by the vibrating means. The cutting process is carried out by rotation of the workpiece and the cutting tool relative to each other and feeding of the cutting tool accompanied by the reciprocating vibration with said amplitude in the machining feeding direction of the cutting tool, to thereby move the cutting tool along a predetermined movement path relative to the workpiece. The movement path comprises a plurality of divisional paths divided at predetermined coordinate positions on the movement path. The amplitude control means is adapted to set the amplitude individually for each of the divisional paths.