METHOD FOR OPERATING A GRINDING DEVICE

Abstract

A grinding device is operated by grinding of a surface of the workpiece with at least one grinding medium while recording actual data of the surface after grinding with at least one data collection device. Actual data recorded during grinding is then compared with target data stored in an electronic memory in an electronic data processing device. Based on the comparison, adjustments are made to at least one grinding parameter if a deviation of the actual data from the target data exceeds a predetermined limit.

Claims

1. A method for operating a grinding device, comprising: a. grinding of a surface of a workpiece with at least one grinding medium, b. recording actual data of the surface of the workpiece after grinding with at least one data collection device, c. comparing the actual data with target data stored in an electronic memory in an electronic data processing device, and d. adjusting at least one grinding parameter if a deviation of the actual data from the target data exceeds a predetermined limit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one grinding parameter is a speed of the at least one grinding medium, a feed speed of a transport device which transports the workpiece through the grinding device, a grinding pressure and/or a dispersion of the grinding pressure of the at least one grinding medium on the workpiece, an entry point at which the workpiece comes into contact with the at least one grinding medium, a type of grinding medium, a connection and/or switching on of grinding units, and/or a grinding direction of the at least one grinding medium.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data collection device has at least one optical system that comprises one or more of at least one camera, and at least one light source, wherein the optical system is configured to collect data on at least one part of the surface of the workpiece.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the optical system collects data on an entirety of the surface of the workpiece.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the optical system collects data in real-time.

6. The method according claim 3, further comprising the surface of the workpiece with electromagnetic radiation from a beam direction when the at least one data collection device collects the actual data of the surface of the workpiece.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the beam direction is not perpendicular to the surface of the work piece.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the beam direction is not perpendicular to a feed direction of a transport device transports the workpiece through the grinding device.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of extracting an actual grinding pattern from the actual data, comparing said actual grinding pattern with a target grinding pattern.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising exposing the workpiece to at least one grinding medium following adjustment of the at least one grinding parameter.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting the actual data at different points in time, using the actual data collected at different points in time to identify a change in a grinding result, and determining a condition of the at least one grinding medium based pm the actual data collected at different points in time.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising determining an exchange time at which the at least one grinding medium is changed.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising signalling, with one or more of an optical signal and an acoustic signal, when the exchange time is reached.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the actual data references a length or a color of the at least one grinding medium.

15. A grinding device with at least one grinding medium, at least one data collection device, and at least one electronic data processing device, which is configured to conduct a method according to claim 1.

16. The grinding device according to claim 15, wherein the at least one grinding medium includes at least a plurality of grinding media at least two of which are different from each other.

17. The grinding device according to claim 15, wherein the data collection device comprises a camera and/or at least one sensor.

18. The grinding device according to claim 15, wherein the grinding device has a lighting device for illuminating the surface of the workpiece while the actual data is being captured.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In the following, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail by way of the attached drawing which shows:

[0045] FIG. 1a schematic sectional view through a grinding device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a grinding device 1 with a transport device, by means of which a workpiece can be transported through the grinding device 1. During this process, the workpiece moves from an inlet 2 of the grinding device to an outlet 2 of the grinding device 1. It is moved along the arrow shown in FIG. 1 at a transport speed v.

[0047] A data collection device 4 is located within the vicinity of the outlet 2, this device being configured to collect actual data of the workpiece surface after grinding. The grinding device 1 also has a lighting device 3, which is configured to illuminate the area of the workpiece surface captured by the data collection device 4 with electro-magnetic rays. The actual data collected by the data collection device 4 is fed into an electronic data processing device 7 where it is processed and especially compared with target data stored in an electronic memory, which is not depicted and preferably forms part of the electronic data processing device 7.

[0048] The grinding device 1 also features another data collection device 9, to which a lighting device 8 is also allocated. The lighting device 8 illuminates a part of the workpiece surface in the vicinity of the inlet 2 of the grinding device 1. The illuminated area is captured by the data collection device and the actual data is collected prior to grinding. In the example of an embodiment shown, this is also fed into the electronic data processing device. A third data collection device 6 is provided to capture actual data of at least one part of a grinding medium 11, preferably the entire grinding medium 11. A corresponding lighting device 5 is also allocated to this data collection device 6, said lighting device being used to illuminate at least one part of the grinding medium 11 with an electromagnetic ray. The actual data of this data collection device 6 is also fed into the electronic data processing device.

[0049] The electronic data processing device 7 generates control signals that are fed into a control unit 10, which is configured to regulate at least one operating parameter of the grinding device and to adjust it on the basis of the control signals.

REFERENCE LIST

[0050] 1 Grinding device [0051] 2 Inlet [0052] 2 Outlet [0053] 3 Lighting device [0054] 4 Data collection device [0055] 5 Lighting device [0056] 6 Data collection device [0057] 7 Electronic data processing device [0058] 8 Lighting device [0059] 9 Data collection device [0060] 10 Control unit [0061] 11 Grinding medium