MACHINING CENTER AND METHOD OF CHECKING TOOL MOUNTED ON MAIN SHAFT OF MACHINE TOOL OF SAID MACHINING CENTER

摘要

A numerically controlled machining center has a tool magazine, automatic tool changer, workpiece shuttle, and a workpiece magazine which holds enough workpieces for operation by the machining center for an entire shift of approximately eight hours. The numerical controls are programmed to perform predetermined machining operations on each workpiece, in turn, and to replace each finished workpiece with a fresh workpiece at the end of each machining program. A proximity switch is mounted on the machining center for checking tools to detect broken or incorrect tools. The tools are positioned adjacent to the proximity switch and are rotated while the output of the proximity switch is counted for one complete rotation of the tool to determine the number of radially extending teeth on the tool. If the tool has too few or too many teeth, thus indicating a broken or incorrect tool, it is replaced by another tool of the same type. If no alternate tool is available in the tool magazine, the machining cycle is automatically suspended.