Method of positioning a workpiece on a machine tool

1. A method for determining workpiece positioning in a machine tool, said machine tool having a loader mechanism including a means for gripping a workpiece, said loader mechanism being linearly movable along a loader axis by a linear drive means and being angularly movable about said loader axis by a rotary drive means, said linear drive means and said rotary drive means being part of a closed-loop positioning system for said loader axis, said method comprising:

applying a first amount of electric current to the loader linear drive means, said first amount being reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of electric current for the loader linear drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of electric current for the loader linear drive means, whereby as a result of the reduced first amount of electric current, the loader linear drive means provides a respective output torque that is reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of torque for the loader linear drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of torque for the loader linear drive means,

applying a second amount of electric current to the loader rotary drive means, said second amount being reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of electric current for the loader rotary drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of electric current for the loader rotary drive means, whereby as a result of the reduced second amount of electric current, the loader rotary drive means provides a respective output torque that is reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of torque for the loader rotary drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of torque for the loader rotary drive means,

positioning the workpiece in a machine spindle of the machine tool and gripping said workpiece with the means for gripping of said loader mechanism whereby said loader mechanism and said machine spindle are mechanically coupled together, said machine spindle being movable along and/or about one or more spindle axes of motion with each of said axes of motion being associated with a respective spindle drive means, wherein each of the spindle drive means outputs a respective torque at a respective defined full power amount or at a respective predetermined full power amount, wherein the reduced output torque of the loader linear drive means and the reduced output torque of the loader rotary drive means are less than the torque(s) at the full power amount(s) of each of the spindle drive means,

wherein as a result of the reduced output torques of the loader linear drive means and of the loader rotary drive means of the loader mechanism with respect to the full power output torque of each of the spindle drive means, said loader mechanism is repositioned linearly in a direction along the loader axis and rotationally about the loader axis whereby machine forces arising from the mechanical coupling are neutralized.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the loader mechanism repositioning comprises moving the loader mechanism relative to the spindle and linearly in a first direction, to a first linear position whereby the loader linear drive means creates a resistance equal and opposite in direction to the reduced output torque of the loader linear drive means, and

wherein the loader mechanism repositioning comprises moving the loader mechanism relative to the spindle linearly in second direction opposite to the first direction to a second linear position whereby the loader linear drive means creates a resistance equal and opposite in direction to the reduced output torque of the loader linear drive means, and

repositioning the loader mechanism at a final linear position between the first and second linear positions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the final linear position is half way between the first and second positions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the loader mechanism repositioning comprises moving the loader mechanism rotationally relative to the spindle in a first rotational direction to a first rotary position whereby the loader rotary drive means creates a resistance equal and opposite in direction to the reduced output torque of the loader rotary drive means, and

wherein the loader mechanism repositioning comprises rotationally moving the loader mechanism relative to the spindle in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction to a second rotary position whereby the loader rotary drive means creates a resistance equal and opposite in direction to the reduced output torque of the loader rotary drive means, and

repositioning the loader mechanism at a final rotary position between the first and second rotary positions.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the final rotary position is half way between the first and second rotary positions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the loader mechanism is movable linearly in a horizontal plane and the spindle is movable linearly in a horizontal plane.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the loader mechanism is movable linearly in a horizontal plane and the spindle is movable linearly in a vertical plane.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning a workpiece in the gripping means wherein the gripping means comprises at least a pair of jaws and the workpiece comprises a cone-shaped face width portion,

closing the jaws,

positioning the workpiece at a position along an axis having a direction perpendicular to the loader axis,

moving the jaws toward the workpiece in a first direction of the loader axis until at least one of the jaws contacts the cone-shaped portion of the workpiece,

recording the distance from the spindle to the point at which the at least one of the loader jaws contacts the cone-shaped portion of the workpiece,

reversing the direction of jaw movement whereby the jaws are clear of the workpiece,

adjusting the position of the workpiece in the direction perpendicular to the loader axis,

repeating the steps of positioning, moving, recording, reversing and adjusting a plurality of times,

selecting the workpiece position in the gripping means in accordance with the position of the workpiece in the direction perpendicular to the linear axis of the loader mechanism corresponding to the smallest recorded distance.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said machine tool comprises a bevel gear manufacturing machine.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said workpiece comprises a bevel pinion or a bevel ring gear.

11. A multi-axis gear manufacturing machine tool comprising a programmable computer control device wherein the computer control device is programmed so as to cause said gear manufacturing machine tool to carry out a method for determining positioning of at least one workpiece in the machine tool, said machine tool having a loader mechanism including a means for gripping the at least one workpiece, said loader mechanism being linearly movable along a loader axis by a linear drive means and being angularly movable about said loader axis by a rotary drive means, said linear drive means and said rotary drive means being part of a closed-loop positioning system for said loader axis, said method comprising:

applying a first amount of electric current to the loader linear drive means, said first amount being reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of electric current for the loader linear drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of electric current for the loader linear drive means, whereby as a result of the reduced first amount of electric current, the loader linear drive means provides a respective output torque that is reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of torque for the loader linear drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of torque for the loader linear drive means,

applying a second amount of electric current to the loader rotary drive means, said second amount being reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of electric current for the loader rotary drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of electric current for the loader rotary drive means, whereby as a result of the reduced second amount of electric current, the loader rotary drive means provides a respective output torque that is reduced in comparison to: (i) a defined full power amount of torque for the loader rotary drive means or (ii) a predetermined full power amount of torque for the loader rotary drive means,

positioning the at least one workpiece in a machine spindle of the machine tool and gripping said at least one workpiece with the means for gripping of said loader mechanism whereby said loader mechanism and said machine spindle are mechanically coupled together, said machine spindle being movable along and/or about one or more spindle axes of motion with each of said axes of motion being associated with a respective spindle drive means, wherein each of the spindle drive means outputs a respective torque at a respective defined full power amount or at a respective predetermined full power amount, wherein the reduced output torque of the loader linear drive means and the reduced output torque of the loader rotary drive means are less than the torque(s) at the full power amount(s) of each of the spindle drive means,

wherein as a result of the reduced output torques of the loader linear drive means and of the loader rotary drive means of the loader mechanism with respect to the full power output torque of each of the spindle drive means, said loader mechanism is repositioned linearly in a direction along the loader axis and rotationally about the loader axis whereby machine forces arising from the mechanical coupling are neutralized.