Machine and Method for Machining Workpieces of Wood, Plastic Material and the Like

Abstract

With the machine, workpieces are machined as they pass through the machine. At least one of the spindles of the machine is coupled with an adjusting unit with which the spindle, for producing a contour on the workpiece, can be adjusted transverse to the throughfeed direction of the workpiece during workpiece throughfeed. The adjustment of the adjusting unit is realized as a function of the advancing speed of the workpiece and/or the workpiece position upon throughfeed of the workpiece. The adjusting unit has such a stiffness and/or low clearance and/or positioning precision that the end products machined from the workpieces after exiting from the machine can be used without further post-machining. The end products have such a geometry precision and surface quality that further post-machining is no longer required.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A machine for machining workpieces of wood, plastic material, and the like, the machine comprising:
 at least one transport path for workpieces on which the workpieces, during throughfeed of the workpieces through the machine, are transported in a throughfeed direction through the machine;   tools fixedly seated on spindles and configured to machine the workpieces during throughfeed of the workpieces through the machine on the at least one transport path;   an adjusting unit having a first adjusting axis;   wherein at least one of the spindles is coupled with the adjusting unit;   wherein the adjusting unit is configured to perform an adjustment of the at least one spindle, for producing a contour on the workpieces, in a direction transverse to the throughfeed direction during throughfeed of the workpieces through the machine, wherein the adjustment is carried out as function of an advancing speed of the workpieces and/or workpiece positions of the workpieces along the at least one transport path during throughfeed;   wherein the adjusting unit has such a stiffness and/or low clearance and/or positioning precision that end products machined from the workpieces, when exiting from the machine, can be used without further post-machining.   
     
     
         2 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a rotary speed of the at least one spindle is adjustable at all times during throughfeed of the workpieces through the machine as a function of the advancing speed and the contour of the workpieces such that a knife mark of the tool fixedly seated on the at least one spindle is maintained constant. 
     
     
         3 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit is free of clearance. 
     
     
         4 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit is a linear drive. 
     
     
         5 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit is a ball screw drive. 
     
     
         6 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit has a second adjusting axis. 
     
     
         7 . The machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the first and second adjusting axes of the adjusting unit are positioned at a right angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         8 . The machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one measuring device configured to detect the workpiece positions in the machine 
     
     
         9 . The machine according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one measuring device comprises a measuring roller that is contacting a side of the workpieces not to be machined with a contour. 
     
     
         10 . The machine according to  claim 9 , further comprising a machine control unit, wherein the at least one measuring device comprises a rotary encoder that detects a rotation of the measuring roller and sends corresponding detection signals to the machine control unit. 
     
     
         11 . The machine according to  claim 10 , wherein an adjusting speed or an adjusting movement of the adjustment of the adjusting unit is coupled by the machine control unit with the advancing speed of the workpieces in the machine or the advancing travel of the workpieces in the machine and thereby with the workpiece positions in the machine during throughfeed of the workpieces. 
     
     
         12 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit is a device connectable to the machine. 
     
     
         13 . The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the machine is a moulder. 
     
     
         14 . A method for machining workpieces of wood, plastic material, and the like, with a machine according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 generating an NC program for a machine control unit of the machine based on a desired and freely selectable geometry or contour;   executing the NC program during throughfeed of the workpieces through the machine and repeating the NC program for each one of the workpieces;   detecting a travel or a position of the workpieces during throughfeed of the workpieces through the machine;   moving at least one contour producing tool transverse to a throughfeed direction of the workpieces through the machine with at least one adjusting unit as a function of a desired contour of the workpieces, of tool data, and of the workpiece positions;   wherein the adjusting unit has such a stiffness and/or low clearance and/or positioning precision that the finish machined workpieces, when exiting from the machine, have such a geometry precision and surface quality that the finish machined workpieces can be used without further post-machining.