IP Library › Granted Patent US 12667907
Granted Patent B2
US 12667907 · App. 19/023,347 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Combined machining apparatus, method to perform cutting and friction stir welding, and computer readable storage medium

Inventors: Eiji Matsubara (Niwa-gun, JP); Susumu Kakiuchi (Niwa-gun, JP); Masayasu Minatani (Niwa-gun, JP); Yoshihiko Fujiwara (Niwa-gun, JP)
Assignee: YAMAZAKI MAZAK CORPORATION
B23K20/123
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12667907
App. No.
19/023,347
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A combined machining apparatus includes a spindle to which a cutting tool and a friction stir welding tool are attachable. The apparatus includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the combined machining apparatus to perform operations comprising: reading a machining program to determine a working tool of a plurality of tools to be called by the machining program; determining whether the working tool is the cutting tool or the friction stir welding tool; allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on a temperature detected by a temperature sensor when the working tool is determined to be the cutting tool; and allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on load detected by the load sensor when the working tool is determined to be the friction stir welding tool.

Claims (68)

1 . A combined machining apparatus comprising:

a spindle to which a cutting tool and a friction stir welding tool are attachable;

a load sensor provided on at least one of the spindle and the friction stir welding tool, the load sensor being configured to detect load which deforms the friction stir welding tool;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature related to thermal displacement of a position of the cutting tool;

a user interface via which tool information is received from a user, the tool information indicating whether each of a plurality of tools attachable to the combined machining apparatus is a cutting tool or a friction stir welding tool;

a processor; and

a memory storing the tool information and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the combined machining apparatus to perform operations comprising:

reading a machining program to determine a working tool to be called by the machining program;

reading the tool information from the memory to determine whether the working tool is the cutting tool or the friction stir welding tool;

allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor when the working tool is determined to be the cutting tool; and

allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on the load detected by the load sensor when the working tool is determined to be the friction stir welding tool.

2 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the operations further comprise disallowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature when the working tool is determined to be the friction stir welding tool.

3 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load includes performing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load if a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load exists in a part of the machining program that specifies machining with the working tool and not performing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load if the thrust correction code does not exist in the part of the machining program.

4 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes outputting an error message, in a case where a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load is included in the part of the machining program that specifies the machining with the working tool.

5 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes ignoring a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load, even though the thrust correction code exists in a part of the machining program that specifies machining with the working tool.

6 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes executing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature.

7 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load is correction of the position of the working tool in a direction along a rotation axis of the working tool.

8 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load applied to the working tool includes performing feedback control of the position of the working tool without a significant change in the load.

9 . A combined machining apparatus comprising:

a spindle to which a cutting tool and a friction stir welding tool are attachable;

a load sensor provided on at least one of the spindle and the friction stir welding tool, the load sensor being configured to detect load which deforms the friction stir welding tool;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature related to thermal displacement of a position of the cutting tool;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the combined machining apparatus to perform operations comprising:

reading a machining program to determine a working tool to be called by the machining program;

determining whether the working tool is the cutting tool or the friction stir welding tool;

allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor when the working tool is determined to be the cutting tool; and

allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on the load detected by the load sensor when the working tool is determined to be the friction stir welding tool,

wherein the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes estimating a position offset from a position of a cutting edge of the working tool in a case where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is a reference temperature, based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and correcting the position of the working tool in the cutting, based on the position offset.

10 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the operations further comprise disallowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature when the working tool is determined to be the friction stir welding tool.

11 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load includes performing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load if a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load exists in a part of the machining program that specifies machining with the working tool and not performing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load if the thrust correction code does not exist in the part of the machining program.

12 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 11 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes outputting an error message, in a case where a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load is included in the part of the machining program that specifies the machining with the working tool.

13 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes ignoring a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load, even though the thrust correction code exists in a part of the machining program that specifies machining with the working tool.

14 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes executing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature.

15 . A combined machining apparatus comprising:

a spindle to which a cutting tool and a friction stir welding tool are attachable;

a load sensor provided on at least one of the spindle and the friction stir welding tool, the load sensor being configured to detect load which deforms the friction stir welding tool;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature related to thermal displacement of a position of the cutting tool;

a tool magazine configured to store the cutting tool and the friction stir welding tool;

a tool exchanger configured to exchange tools between the tool magazine and the spindle;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the combined machining apparatus to perform operations comprising:

reading a machining program to determine a working tool to be called by the machining program;

determining whether the working tool is the cutting tool or the friction stir welding tool;

allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor when the working tool is determined to be the cutting tool; and

allowing correction of a position of the working tool based on the load detected by the load sensor when the working tool is determined to be the friction stir welding tool.

16 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein the operations further comprise disallowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature when the working tool is determined to be the friction stir welding tool.

17 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 16 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load includes performing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load if a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load exists in a part of the machining program that specifies machining with the working tool and not performing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load if the thrust correction code does not exist in the part of the machining program.

18 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes ignoring a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load, even though the thrust correction code exists in a part of the machining program that specifies machining with the working tool.

19 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 17 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes outputting an error message, in a case where a thrust correction code for instructing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the load is included in the part of the machining program that specifies the machining with the working tool.

20 . The combined machining apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein the allowing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature includes executing the correction of the position of the working tool based on the temperature.