Adaptive Control for a C.N.C. Lathe

Summary

A brief outline is first given of the CNC turret lathe and precision force transducer system, together with an explanation of the philosophy behind the strategy of force constraint Adaptive Control presently implemented.

The main part of the naner is taken up with tests which dercnstrate the capability of the system to deal with transients in cuttina force caused by, entering metal, chances in denth of cut and channes in feed. The results niven show that the system can enter metal safely at feedrates well in excess of one metre ner minute and safely negotiate chanqes in denth of cut which, without corrective action, would impose demands beyond the rating of the machine. No tendency towards instability was evident in any of the tests, even when machinina rounh and eccentric workpieces.

Operation times are niven for a test component machined under both Conventional N.C. and Adaptive N.C. These show the onerations in which there is a substantial savinq in tine and that overall, from start to finish, Adaptive Control reduces production time by 41%.