U.S. patent application number 15/971279 was filed with the patent office on 2019-11-07 for system and method for controlling gear mounting distance using optical sensors.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ford Motor Company. The applicant listed for this patent is Ford Motor Company. Invention is credited to Paul Bojanowski, Scott Klozik, Eric Thomas Miller.
Application Number | 20190339064 15/971279 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68276598 |
Filed Date | 2019-11-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190339064 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bojanowski; Paul ; et
al. |
November 7, 2019 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING GEAR MOUNTING DISTANCE USING
OPTICAL SENSORS
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed toward a system that includes
a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor, and a gear feature
controller. The first optical sensor measures a plurality of first
distances measured from a first reference point to a surface
provided between a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of
teeth circumferentially distributed about a first side of a gear.
The second optical sensor measures a plurality of second distances
measured from a second reference point to a surface along a second
side of the gear opposite the first side. The gear feature
controller configured to determine a stock removal amount of the
gear based on the first distances and the second distances.
Inventors: |
Bojanowski; Paul; (Macomb
Township, MI) ; Miller; Eric Thomas; (Dansville,
MI) ; Klozik; Scott; (Berkley, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Motor Company |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ford Motor Company
Dearborn
MI
|
Family ID: |
68276598 |
Appl. No.: |
15/971279 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G05B 2219/50064
20130101; G01B 11/14 20130101; G01N 21/9515 20130101; G05B 19/401
20130101; G01B 11/2416 20130101; G05B 19/186 20130101; G05B
2219/45214 20130101; G05B 19/27 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G01B 11/14 20060101
G01B011/14; G01N 21/95 20060101 G01N021/95; G05B 19/27 20060101
G05B019/27 |
Claims
1. A system comprising: a first optical sensor operable to measure
a plurality of first distances, wherein each of the first distances
is measured from a first reference point to a surface provided
between a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth
circumferentially distributed about a first side of a gear; a
second optical sensor operable to measure a plurality of second
distances measured from a second reference point to a surface along
a second side of the gear opposite the first side; and a gear
feature controller configured to determine a stock removal amount
of the gear based on the first distances and the second
distances.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gear feature controller
calculates a mounting distance based on the first distances and the
second distances, and determines the stock removal amount based on
the mounting distance.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gear feature controller is
configured to calculate an average first distance and an average
second distance based on the first distances from the first optical
sensor and the second distances from the second optical sensor, and
determine the stock removal amount based on the average first and
second distances.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first optical sensor and the
second optical sensor are operable to perform simultaneous
measurements of the first distances and the second distances,
respectively.
5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a moving mechanism
coupled to the gear and operable to rotate the gear as the first
optical sensor and the second optical sensor measure the first
distances and the second distances, respectively.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third optical sensor
configured to trigger the first and second optical sensors to
measure the first and second distances, respectively.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the third optical sensor is
configured to detect the edge of a tooth to trigger the first and
second optical sensors.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the gear feature controller is
configured to inspect the gear for one or more undesired
characteristics based on the first distances, the second distances,
or a combination thereof.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the undesired characteristics
includes at least one of missed clamping, high-runout, and
geometric defects of a tooth flank.
10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a machining tool,
wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are
arranged with the machining tool, and the machining tool is
operable to rotate the gear as the first optical sensor and the
second optical sensor measure the first distances and the second
distances, respectively.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the machining tool includes a
computer numerical control (CNC) machine operable to machine the
gear and a machine controller configured to control the CNC machine
based on the stock removal amount determined by the gear feature
controller.
12. A method comprising: measuring, by a first optical sensor, a
plurality of first distances along a first side of a gear, wherein
each of the first distances is measured from a first reference
point to a surface provided between a pair of adjacent teeth among
a plurality of teeth circumferentially distributed about the first
side of the gear; measuring, by a second optical sensor, a
plurality of second distances measured from a second reference
point to a datum surface along a second side of the gear opposite
the first side; and calculating a stock removal amount based on the
first distances and the second distances.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising triggering, by a
third optical sensor, the first optical sensor and the second
optical sensor to measure each of the first distances and each of
the second distances.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising removing, by a
machining tool, material from the gear based on the stock removal
amount.
15. The method of claim 12 further comprising: clamping the gear in
a machining tool equipped with the first optical sensor and the
second optical sensor; and positioning, by the machining tool, the
gear at predetermined position within a measurement field of the
first optical sensor and the second optical sensor.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first reference point and
the second reference point are defined along a predefined standard
profile that is based on a standard gear artifact.
17. A machining system comprising: a first laser operable to
measure multiple first distances defined between a standard tooth
reference and a tooth flank provided between adjacent teeth among
multiple teeth distributed about a first side of the gear; a second
laser operable to measure multiple second distances between a
standard back reference and a back-face surface of the gear; and a
controller configured to calculate a stock removal based on the
first and second distances.
18. The machining system of claim 17 further comprising a machining
tool, wherein the first laser and the second laser are arranged
with the machining tool, and the machining tool is operable to
rotate the gear as the first laser and the second laser measure the
first distances and the second distances, respectively.
19. The machining system of claim 18, wherein the machining tool
includes a computer numerical control (CNC) machine operable to
machine the gear, and a machine controller configured to control
the CNC machine to machine material from the gear based on the
stock removal calculated by the gear feature controller.
20. The machining system of claim 17 further comprising a third
laser configured to trigger the first and second lasers to measure
the first and second distances, respectively.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for
finishing a gear surface in accordance with a mounting distance of
the gear.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure and may not
constitute prior art.
[0003] During manufacturing, a gear, such as a ring gear for a
vehicular transmission, undergoes a series of operations to form
high precision datum surfaces and gear teeth. Generally, gear teeth
are machined on a blank material to form an unfinished gear that
then undergoes one or more heat treatments to strengthen the
material of the gear. Some heat treatments can distort the tooth
flanks and the datum of the gear, and therefore, the unfinished
gear is hard machined by a machining tool to form the high
precision datum surface and gear teeth.
[0004] Prior to finishing the gear teeth, the datum surface used to
measure a mounting distance of the teeth is hard machined by, for
example, a pitch chuck three-jaw chucks, or a device having a bore
expansion collet, an outside diameter expansion collet, and an
outside diameter chuck. These machining methods can impart clamping
errors and inhibit accurate setting of the mounting distance
because of the variations between gears and the clamping location.
In another machining method, the amount of material to remove is
first determined using an over-ball contact technique in which a
mounting distance is measured at one or more locations along the
unfinished gear. This measurement is then used to determine an
average stock removal for the gear. Such technique is time
consuming and requires different measurement instruments for
different gear tooth geometry. These and other issues are addressed
by the teaching of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
[0005] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure,
and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of
its features.
[0006] In one form, the present disclosure is directed to a system
that comprises a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor, and
a gear feature controller. The first optical sensor is operable to
measure a plurality of first distances. Each of the first distances
is measured from a first reference point to a surface provided
between a pair of adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth
circumferentially distributed about a first side of a gear. The
second optical sensor is operable to measure a plurality of second
distances measured from a second reference point to a surface along
a second side of the gear opposite the first side. The gear feature
controller is configured to determine a stock removal amount of the
gear based on the first distances and the second distances.
[0007] In another form, the gear feature controller calculates a
mounting distance based on the first distances and the second
distances, and determines the stock removal amount based on the
mounting distance.
[0008] In one form, the gear feature controller is configured to
calculate an average first distance and an average second distance
based on the first distances from the first optical sensor and the
second distances from the second optical sensor, and determine the
stock removal amount based on the average first and second
distances.
[0009] In yet another form, the first optical sensor and the second
optical sensor are operable to perform simultaneous measurements of
the first distances and the second distances, respectively.
[0010] In one form, a moving mechanism is coupled to the gear and
operable to rotate the gear as the first optical sensor and the
second optical sensor measure the first distances and the second
distances, respectively.
[0011] In one form, the system comprises a third optical sensor
configured to trigger the first and second optical sensors to
measure the first and second distances, respectively.
[0012] In another form, the third optical sensor is configured to
detect the edge of a tooth to trigger the first and second optical
sensors.
[0013] In yet another form, the gear feature controller is
configured to inspect the gear for one or more undesired
characteristics based on the first distances, the second distances,
or a combination thereof.
[0014] In one form, the undesired characteristics include at least
one of missed clamping, high-runout, and geometric defects of a
tooth flank.
[0015] In yet another form, the system comprises a machining tool,
and the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are
arranged with the machining tool. The machining tool is operable to
rotate the gear as the first optical sensor and the second optical
sensor measure the first distances and the second distances,
respectively.
[0016] In one form, the machining tool includes a computer
numerical control (CNC) machine operable to machine the gear and a
machine controller configured to control the CNC machine based on
the stock removal amount determined by the gear feature
controller.
[0017] In one form, the present disclosure is directed toward a
method that comprises measuring, by a first optical sensor, a
plurality of first distances along a first side of a gear;
measuring, by a second optical sensor, a plurality of second
distances measured from a second reference point to a datum surface
along a second side of the gear opposite the first side; and
calculating a stock removal amount based on the first distances and
the second distances. Each of the first distances is measured from
a first reference point to a surface provided between a pair of
adjacent teeth among a plurality of teeth circumferentially
distributed about the first side of the gear.
[0018] In one form, the method further comprises triggering, by a
third optical sensor, the first optical sensor and the second
optical sensor to measure each of the first distances and each of
the second distances.
[0019] In one form, the method further comprises removing, by a
machining tool, material from the gear based on the stock removal
amount.
[0020] In yet another form, the method further comprises clamping
the gear in a machining tool equipped with the first optical sensor
and the second optical sensor; and positioning, by the machining
tool, the gear at predetermined position within a measurement field
of the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor.
[0021] In one form, the first reference point and the second
reference point are defined along a predefined standard profile
that is based on a standard gear artifact.
[0022] In one form, the present disclosure is directed toward a
machining system that comprises a first laser, a second laser, and
a controller. The first laser is operable to measure multiple first
distances defined between a standard tooth reference and a tooth
flank provided between adjacent teeth among multiple teeth
distributed about a first side of the gear. The second laser is
operable to measure multiple second distances between a standard
back reference and a back-face surface of the gear. The controller
is configured to calculate a stock removal based on the first and
second distances.
[0023] In one form, the machining system comprises a machining
tool, and the first laser and the second laser are arranged with
the machining tool. The machining tool is operable to rotate the
gear as the first laser and the second laser measure the first
distances and the second distances, respectively.
[0024] In one form, the machining tool includes a computer
numerical control (CNC) machine operable to machine the gear. The
machine controller is configured to control the CNC machine to
machine material from the gear based on the stock removal
calculated by the gear feature controller.
[0025] In one form, the machining system further comprises a third
laser configured to trigger the first and second lasers to measure
the first and second distances, respectively.
[0026] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. It should be understood that the
description and specific examples are intended for purposes of
illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the
present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0027] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there
will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of
example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a machine system including a mounting
distance control tool in accordance with present disclosure;
[0029] FIG. 2A is a top view of a ring gear in accordance with
present disclosure;
[0030] FIG. 2B is a side view of the ring gear of FIG. 2A;
[0031] FIG. 2C is a partial cross-sectional view of the ring gear
of FIG. 2A taken along line I-I; and
[0032] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a gear mounting control routine in
accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.
[0033] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure in any way.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and
is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or
uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings,
corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding
parts and features.
[0035] In forming a high precision gear, such as a ring gear for a
transmission system, an unfinished gear is clamped in a machining
tool, and material is removed from a datum surface that is used to
measure a mounting distance defined by the datum surface to a gap
between two adjacent teeth. Once the datum surface is finished, the
machining tool finishes the gear teeth based on a predefined
mounting distance specified for the finished gear. The present
disclosure is directed toward a system for locating the machining
tool with respect to the datum surface and the gear teeth, and for
estimating a stock removal amount for the datum surface. The system
utilizes non-contact optical sensors for measuring characteristics
related to the gear teeth and the datum surface, and a gear feature
controller for estimating a stock removal amount for forming a
finished datum surface.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, a machine system 100 is operable to
remove material from an unfinished gear 102, such as a ring gear,
that includes a datum surface 102A on one side and gear teeth 102B
on another side of the gear 102 opposite of the datum surface 102A.
The system 100 includes a machining tool 104 and a mounting
distance control tool 106 ("MDC tool 106"). In one form, the
machining tool 104 includes a multi-axis computer numerical control
(CNC) machine 108 and a machine controller 110 that controls the
CNC machine 108. The teachings of the present disclosure are
applicable to other machining tools, and should not be limited to
the machining tool 104 depicted in the figure.
[0037] In one form, the CNC machine 108 includes an armature 112
for holding the gear 102, and a spindle arm (i.e., spindle) 114 for
operating a tool (not shown) to remove material from the gear 102.
The armature 112 is operable to rotate the gear 102, and is
moveable along one or more axes by way of one or more sliders 116A
and 116B. Like, the armature 112, the spindle 114 is also moveable
along one or more axes by way of one or more sliders (not shown),
such that the armature 112 and the spindle 114 are moveable
relative to each other to control the position and alignment of the
tool with the gear 102.
[0038] In one form, the machine controller 110 includes a processor
and a memory for storing computer readable instructions executed by
the processor. The machine controller 110 is configured to operate
the CNC machine 108 using one or more pre-stored programs executed
by the processor. More particularly, along with other components of
the CNC machine 108, the machine controller 110 controls the
torque, position, orientation, and other operation parameters of
the spindle 114 and/or the armature 112 to form the part. The
machine controller 110 is accessible by an operator via a computer
118 that includes a user interface, such as a monitor 120A and a
keyboard 120B.
[0039] The machining tool 104 is operable to hard machine the
unfinished gear 102 to form a planar datum surface from which a
mounting distance is measured to control a finishing operation of
the tooth flanks of the gear 102. As described further herein, the
MDC tool 106 locates the position of the datum surface and the gear
teeth with respect to a clamping plane of the CNC machine 108, and
estimates the amount of material to be removed from the datum
surface of the gear.
[0040] More particularly, referring to FIGS. 2A to 2C, a ring gear
200 for an axle assembly is one example of the gear 102 that is
finished by the system 100. The ring gear 200 includes a plurality
of teeth 202 that are circumferentially distributed along a first
side of the ring gear 200, and define a tooth gap (TG) between two
adjacent teeth and a pitch-to-pitch distance (i.e., a pitch circle)
(P-P) between two adjacent convex pitch points (e.g., distance
between P1 and P3 in figure). The gear 200 also defines a back-face
surface 204 and a hub surface 206 along a second side of the gear
200 opposite to the first side. The back-face surface 204 is
provided as the datum surface from which a mounting distance (MD)
is measured to a pitch point (e.g., distance between back-face
surface 204 to P1 in figure). As described above, prior to
machining, the gear 200 may be slightly distorted, such that the
back-face surface is uneven and thus, resulting in a varying
mounting distance about the gear 200. For example, in FIG. 2C, an
unfinished surface is provided as a dot-dashed line and the
standard finished surface is in a solid line. The teachings of the
present disclosure is applicable to other types of gear, and should
not be limited to the ring gear depicted.
[0041] Continuing reference to FIG. 1, the CNC machine 108 is
operable to clamp to the gear 150 via the armature 112, and remove
material along the back-face surface 102A to form a substantially
planar surface. In one form, the CNC machine 108 engages with the
gear 150 along a machine reference plane that is perpendicular to
an inner diameter surface of the gear 102 (i.e., Plane M). To
locate the position of the CNC machine 108 with respect to the
back-face surface 102A and the teeth 102B, the MDC tool 106
includes optical sensors 120A, 120B, and 120C (collectively
"optical sensors 120"), and a gear feature controller 122 that
estimates a stock removal amount based on data from the optical
sensors 120.
[0042] In one form, the optical sensors 120 are arranged at and
mounted with the machine 108. The optical sensors 120 are laser
measurement devices to measure or detect a feature along the gear
102. Referring to FIG. 2B, the optical sensor 120A is arranged to
measure a flank distance (i.e., a first distance) that is defined
between a first reference point to a tooth flank feature 210, such
as a pitch surface or rise-to-run surface, between two adjacent
teeth 202. The optical sensor 120B is arranged to measure a
back-face distance (i.e., a second distance) defined between a
second reference point to the back-face surface 204 of the gear
200.
[0043] In one form, the optical sensors 120A and 120B are
configured to measure true distances defined between the optical
sensors 120A and 120B to the flank feature 210 and the back-face
surface 204, respectively. In another form, the optical sensors
120A and 120B are configured to measure comparative distances
defined between a known standard profile of the gear 200 to the
flank feature 210 and the back-face surface 204. More particularly,
the optical sensors 120A and 120B are calibrated using an artifact
that has a predefined profile, which is captured in the solid
outline in FIG. 2C, and a known mounting distance. The distance
from the optical sensors 120A and 120B to the respective surface of
the artifact is known, and the comparative distances are measured
between the predefined profile of the artifact to the flank feature
210 and the back-face surface 204 of the unfinished gear.
Accordingly, the predefine profile is configured as the zero
difference boundary, such that a surface of unfinished gear 200
that is outside the boundary is a negative distance and a surface
that is within the boundary is a positive distance.
[0044] To provide accurate measurements, the gear 102 is moved to a
predetermined location within a measurement field of the optical
sensors 120A and 120B. The optical sensors 120A and 120B measure
multiple flank distances and back-face distances, respectively.
Specifically, in one form, the armature 112 is operable to rotate
the gear 102 as the optical sensor 120A measures the flank distance
for each tooth gap, and the optical sensor 120B measures the
back-face distance. Accordingly, the armature 112 operates as a
moving mechanism.
[0045] The flank distance provides a positional relationship
between the machine plane (Plane M) to a tooth feature of the
unfished gear, and more particularly, is used to determine a
distance M1 defined between the tooth gap surface to plane M (FIG.
2C). The base-face distance provides a positional relationship
between plane M to the back-face surface, and more particularly, is
used to determine a distance M2 defined between plane M to the
back-face surface of the unfinished gear. Using distances M1 and
M2, the gear feature controller 122 determines the mounting
distance (M3) of the unfinished gear as the sum of distances M1 and
M2, and compares the mounting distance of the unfinished gear with
the predefined mounting distance for the finished gear to estimate
a stock removal amount of the gear.
[0046] The optical sensor 120C is provided as a trigger device to
prompt the optical sensors 120A and 120B to measure the respective
distances. In one form, the optical sensor 120C is configured to
detect the edge of the tooth and transmit a signal to the optical
sensors 120A and 120B to take the measurement as the tooth gap
travels through the measurement field.
[0047] In another form, in lieu of the optical sensor 120C, the MDC
tool 106 is configured in other suitable ways to measure the flank
and black-face distances. For example, the MDC tool 106 is
configured to track the rotation of the gear 102 and have the
optical sensors 102A and 102B provide a continuous measurement of
the distances. Using predetermined data, such as the tooth gap, the
number of teeth along the gear, and acceptable flank distances, the
MDC tool 106 can determines the flank distances and corresponding
back-face distances. In another example, using the optical sensor
120A, a pre-defined rise-to-run distance such as 8 mm is determined
and identified as a first tooth gap. Using the armature 112, the
gear is rotated as the optical sensor 120A and 120B take
measurements until the gear makes at least one full revolution. In
yet another example, an optical sensor having an internal trigger
may be used and/or the gear is controlled to make more than one
revolution to obtain additional measurements and then averaging the
data to obtain a more accurate measurement.
[0048] The gear feature controller 122 is configured to analyze the
data from the optical sensors 120 to determine positional
information of the unfinished gear, and to estimate a stock removal
amount for the back-face surface 204. In one form, the gear feature
controller 122 is a controller having a processor and a memory that
stores instructions executable by the processor. The gear feature
controller 122 is communicably coupled to the optical sensors 120,
the machine controller 110, and/or the computer 118 by way of
wireless communication link (e.g., Bluetooth, Zig-Bee, Wifi, etc)
and/or a wired communication link. In another form, the gear
feature controller 122 may be implemented as part of the machine
controller, and may not be a separate unit.
[0049] To determine the positional information of the gear 102, in
one form, the gear feature controller 122 calculates an average
flank distance and an average base-face distance by taking the sum
of the measurements and dividing the sum by the number of
measurements taken. The controller 122 may also be configured to
filter the measurement to remove any outlier data points (e.g.,
omits the lowest and highest measurements taken) before calculating
the average distances.
[0050] Using the average flank distance and the average base-face
distance, the controller 122 adjusts the average values using a
predetermined linear aggression model for a particular measurement.
For example, the average flank distance is adjusted by multiplying
the average flank value with a flank slope factor, which defines
the linear relationship between a high and low tooth thickness
deviations. Similarly, the average back-face distance is adjusted
by multiplying the average value with a datum slope factor that
define the linear relationship between a high and low back-face
distance variations. The flank slope factor and the datum slope
factor are predetermined and unique for each style of gears, such
that a gear having 20 teeth with a tooth gap of 10 mm is different
from that of a gear having 25 teeth with a tooth gap of 8 mm. The
stock removal amount (SRA) is then determined using the following
equation in which FD.sub.ADJ is the adjusted flank distance,
BD.sub.ADJ is the adjusted base-face distance, and BC is a bias
constant. The bias constant is predefined to adjust (i.e., increase
or decrease) the various possible gears mounting distance to
improve tooth stock for the final gear tooth finishing. For
example, perhaps the finish tooth grind wheel is grinding too much
or too little material off near the heel of the tooth because the
heat treat distortion shifted. The bias constant is selected to
compensate for these shifts in the process. Once calculated, the
gear feature controller 122 transmits the stock removal amount and
position information (e.g., M1, M2, and/or M3) to have the machine
104 remove material from the back-face surface 102A of the gear
102.
SRA=-(FD.sub.ADJ+BD.sub.ADJ+BC) Equation
[0051] In one form, once the CNC machine 104 machines the back-face
of the gear, the MDC tool 106 is configured re-inspect the gear to
evaluate the mounting distance and provide tracking data or
compensation for any tool wear. For example, once machined, the
optical lasers measure a finished geometry of the gear. Using the
finished geometry, the MDC tool 106 determines if the tool is
wearing by comparing the data to predefined standard values. If so,
the MDC tool 106 provides additional tool compensation for the next
gear to be machined or if the geometry is going beyond a control
limit, the machining process may be pause to allow an operator to
inspect the tool for damage or wear. In one form, the measurements
taken are stored with a 2D matrix on the gear, so that the
engineers or subsequent processes can utilize the data for process
optimization.
[0052] In addition to calculating the positional information and
the stock removal, the gear feature controller 122 is also
configured to inspect the unfinished gear using the measurements
from the optical sensors 120A and 120B. For example, Table 1
defines various undesired characteristics for an unfinished gear
and possible actions for addressing such characteristics. In the
table, D1 is a flank distance and D2 is a back-face distance. In
one form, the gear feature controller 122 is configured to perform
one or more of quality checks for assessing the presence of the
undesired characteristics, and output the results to the machine
controller and/or to the operator by way of the monitor 120A. For
example, if a gear is identified as being overly warped, the gear
feature controller 122 may output a command to the machine
controller 110 to have the machine 108 set aside the unfinished
gear and retrieve a new unfinished gear.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Gear Inspection Check Undesired
Characteristics Standard/Test Countermeasure Gear mis- An average
D1 or an average D2 Reposition Gear clamped are outside a
respective predefined distance, or the multiple D2 measurements
encompass a large range of values. Gear overly The multiple D1
measurements Set gear aside warped or the multiple D2 measurements
encompass a large range of values. Root height Measure distance to
the bottom Set gear aside of a tooth using optical sensor and
compare to predefined root height to check for defects from the
prior tooth cutting operation or severe distortion in the root from
heat treatment. Teeth run-out A rise-to-run or a rise-to-rise is
Set gear aside calculated based on D1 and exceeds a predefined
limit. Tooth gap over/ D1 rise to run for an individual Set gear
aside under sizes tooth gap or additional tooth gaps measured after
machining are outside a predefined threshold due to inaccurate
cutting. Distance between Using bottom optical sensor, a Set gear
aside the flat to outer line is found within the captured point
chamfer. profile that lies in the expected region of a datum weld
plane of a finished weld nub feature of the gear. The calculated
line can be used to make comparative measurements to other features
in the measured profile, such as an intersection point. For
example, the intersection of the chamfer (i.e., angled line
diverging off of the line of the datum weld plane going to a point
that begins a radius). Using the angled line and radius, the
intersection of these two features can be calculated. The aligned
distance from the datum plane to intersection point can be
calculated and compared to a predefined threshold.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 3, an example of a gear mounting control
routine performed by the mounting distance control tool of the
present disclosure. In one form, being in communication with the
machine controller, the mounting distance control tool performs the
routine when an unfinished gear is clamped by the CNC machine. At
302, the control tool positions the gear at a predefined position
within the measurement filed of the optical sensors. For example,
the control tool transmits an instruction to the machine controller
to move the gear at the predefined location. In another example,
the machine controller is configured to automatically move the gear
to the predefined location once the gear is clamped, and the
control tool is configured to determine whether the gear at the
position. At 304, the gear is rotated and the optical sensors
measure multiple first distances and multiple second distances, as
described above. The optical sensors perform such measurement until
the gear is rotated 360-degrees.
[0054] At 306, the control tool inspects the unfinished according
to one or more quality checks using the measured first distances
and second distances, and at 308 determine whether the gear has one
or more undesired characteristic based on the inspection. If so,
the control tool, at 310, addresses the undesired characteristic
using predefined countermeasures associated with the undesired
characteristics. If not, the control tool, at 312, determines an
average first distance and an average second distance, and adjusts
the average first and second distances using predetermined linear
models, as described above. At 314, the control unit calculates a
stock removal based on the adjusted average first and second
distances, and a bias constant of the gear, and transmits the stock
removal amount to the machine controller, at 316. Subsequently, the
machine controller controls the CNC machine to remove material from
the back-face surface of the gear to form a planar datum surface
based on the stock removal amount.
[0055] The MDC tool of the present disclosure is configured to
operate within the machining tool to provide an accurate stock
removal amount for an unfinished gear that is clamped by the CNC
machine. Using non-contact optical sensors, the MDC tool measures
features related to the teeth and the back-face surface of the gear
as the gear is being rotated. Accordingly, the MDC tool assess the
stock removal amount based on measurement information taken about
the entire gear and not at selected locations.
[0056] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in
nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance
of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the
disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
* * * * *