ADAPTIVE LUBRICATION CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR AXIAL SYSTEM OF MACHINING CENTER

Abstract

An adaptive lubrication control method used in an adaptive lubrication control system for a machining center having an axial system comprises a controller and a lubricating system. The method uses a built-in macro program unit and programmable logic unit of the controller to acquire the feed rate and load data of the axial system of the machining center for computing the shift parameter of the axial system so that the optimal lubrication timing and lubrication time length can be figured out for controlling the lubricating system to lubricate the axial system automatically.

Claims

1. An adaptive lubrication control system for a machining center having an axial system for feeding a workpiece to a tool of said machining center for processing, said adaptive lubricating control system comprising a controller and a lubricating system mounted in said machining center, wherein: said controller has built therein a programmable logic unit and a macro program unit, said programmable logic unit being adapted to detect the feed rate and load of said axial system and to provide the detected feed rate and load data to said macro program unit and capable of instructing said lubricating system to perform lubrication, said macro program unit being adapted for acquiring from said programmable logic unit the said feed rate and load data of said axial system, computing the said feed rate and load data to obtain a shift parameter of said axial system, determining lubrication timing and lubrication time length of lubrication performance of said lubricating system according to the said shift parameter thus obtained and then providing the determined lubrication timing and lubrication time length to said programmable logic unit for enabling said programmable logic unit to give a command to said lubricating system; and said lubricating system is controllable by said controller to lubricate said axial system.

2. The adaptive lubrication control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said axial system comprises a linear drive unit and a slide unit adapted for carrying a work platform.

3. The adaptive lubrication control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lubricating system comprises a lubricating grease storage unit storing a lubricating grease, a lubricating grease withdrawing unit connected to said lubricating grease storage unit for withdrawing said lubricating grease from said lubricating grease storage unit toward said axial system, and a pipeline connecting said lubricating grease withdrawing unit to said axial system for delivering said lubricating grease from said lubricating grease storage unit to said axial system for lubrication.

4. An adaptive lubrication control method for the adaptive lubrication control system as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of: (a) processing: enabling said linear drive unit and said slide unit of said axial system to start a moving action when said machining center is undergoing machining; (b) axial system feed rate and load acquisition: enabling said programmable logic unit of said controller to detect the operating status of said machining center periodically so that said macro program unit is enabled to acquire from said programmable logic unit the feed rate and load data of said axial system; (c) axial system shift parameter computation: enabling said macro program unit to compute the acquired said feed rate and load data so as to obtain a shift parameter of said axial system; (d) lubrication timing determination: enabling said macro program unit to determine lubrication timing and lubrication time length of said lubricating system according to the said shift parameter thus obtained; and (e) axial system lubrication implementation: enabling said macro program unit to provide the determined lubrication timing and lubrication time length to said programmable logic unit so that said programmable logic unit is enabled to instruct said lubricating system to lubricate said axial system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an adaptive lubrication control system in accordance with the present invention as used for an axial system of a machining center.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the adaptive lubrication control system in accordance with the present invention as used for an axial system of a machining center.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an adaptive lubrication control method in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The invention provides an adaptive lubrication control system and method for axial system of machining center that is adapted to acquire the operation data of the axial system of a machining center for statistical analysis so as to further provide the machining center with a sufficiently reliable diagnosis and then to adaptively control the lubrication of the axial system. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the adaptive lubrication control system for axial system 20 of a machining center 10 generally comprises a controller 30 and a lubricating system 40 respectively mounted in the machining center 10.

[0014] The machining center 10 can be a vertical machining center, horizontal machining center, gantry type machining center or 5-axis machining center.

[0015] The axial system 20 is installed in the feed system of the machining center 10 for feeding the workpiece to the tool for processing. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the axial system 20 comprises a linear drive unit 21 for performing a feeding operation, a slide unit 22, and a work platform 23. The slide unit 22 is drivable by the linear drive unit 21 to move the work platform 23 alternatively forwards and backwards, thereby performing feed and return actions.

[0016] The controller 30 is a programmable logic controller, having built therein a programmable logic unit 31 and a macro program unit 32. The programmable logic unit 31 can detect the feed rate and load of the axial system 20 and then transmit the detected feed rate and load data to the macro program unit 32. The programmable logic unit 31 can also instruct the lubricating system 40 to perform lubrication. The macro program unit 32 is a pre-written program stored in the programmable logic unit 31 adapted for acquiring the feed rate and load data of the axial system 20, computing the acquired feed rate and load data of obtain the shift parameter of the axial system 20, determining the lubrication timing and the lubrication time length of the lubricating system 40 according to the shift parameter, and providing the determination message to the programmable logic unit 32 so that the programmable logic unit 32 can give a command to the lubricating system 40.

[0017] The lubricating system 40 in the present preferred embodiment comprises a lubricating grease storage unit 41 for storing a lubricating grease, a lubricating grease withdrawing unit 42 connected to the lubricating grease storage unit 41, and a pipeline 43 connecting the lubricating grease withdrawing unit 42 to the linear drive unit 21 and slide unit 22 of the axial system 20. Thus, the controller 30 can automatically control the lubricating grease withdrawing unit 42 to withdraw the storage lubricating grease from the lubricating grease storage unit 41 through the pipeline 43 to the linear drive unit 21 and slide unit 22 of the axial system 20 for lubrication.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 3, an adaptive lubrication control method is used in the aforesaid adaptive lubrication control system, comprising the steps of:

[0019] (a) Processing: Enable the linear drive unit 21 and slide unit 22 of the axial system 20 to start a moving action when the machining center 10 is undergoing machining.

[0020] (b) Axial system feed rate and load acquisition: Enable the controller 30 to acquire the data of the feed rate and load of the axial system 20 periodically. In this step, the programmable logic unit 31 detects the operating status of the machining center 10, enabling the macro program unit 32 to acquire the feed rate and load data of the axial system 20.

[0021] (c) Axial system shift parameter computation: Enable the macro program unit 32 to compute the acquired feed rate and load data so as to obtain the shift parameter of the axial system 20.

[0022] (d) Lubrication timing determination: Enable the macro program unit 32 to determine the lubrication timing and lubrication time length of the lubricating system 40 according to the shift parameter thus obtained.

[0023] (e) Axial system lubrication implementation: Enable the macro program unit 32 to provide the message of the determination of the lubrication timing and lubrication time length to the programmable logic unit 31 so that the programmable logic unit 31 is enabled to instruct the lubricating system 40 to lubricate the axial system 20.

[0024] The adaptive lubrication control system and method for axial system of machining center can control the lubricating system 40 to lubricate the linear drive unit 21 and slide unit 22 of the axial system 20 according to the shift parameter of the axial system 20. By means of using the feed rate and load data of the axial system of the machining center to compute the shift parameter of the axial system, the macro program unit 32 can figure out the optimal lubrication timing and lubrication time length for controlling the lubricating system to lubricate the axial system automatically, alleviating the over lubrication and insufficient lubrication problems of the conventional techniques.