Parting machine, workpiece positioning device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a cutting machine comprising a rotating cutting wheel for performing separating cuts in a workpiece, and also relates to a workpiece positioning device for such a cutting machine. The cutting machine comprises a cutting wheel and a drive motor for driving the cutting wheel, a clamping means for clamping the workpiece, means for mechanically positioning the workpiece along one or two translational directions and additionally about one or two rotation axes, and a lifting mechanism for setting the cutting wheel on the workpiece to perform separating cuts in the positioned workpiece using the cutting wheel.

1 . A cut-off machine for metallographic sample preparation using a rotating abrasive cut-off wheel for making separating cuts through a test specimen to cut off sample pieces of the test specimen in a closable working space, comprising:
 an abrasive cut-off wheel to make separating cuts through a test specimen;   a drive motor for rotationally driving the cut-off wheel around a rotation axis;   coolant nozzles for cooling of the cut-off wheel and the test specimen when performing the separating cuts in the closed working space;   a work table defining an xz-plane and having clamping or mounting grooves;   a clamp for clamping the test specimen;   at least one of the work table or the cut-off wheel displaceable in a first linear displacement direction in the xz-plane to position the test specimen for separating cuts with the cut-off wheel in the first linear displacement direction in the xz-plane relative to the cut-off wheel;   at least one of the work table or the cut-off wheel displaceable in a second linear displacement direction in the xz-plane perpendicularly to the first linear displacement direction to position the test specimen for separating cuts with the cut-off wheel in the second linear displacement direction in the xz-plane relative to the cut-off wheel;   a first motor for rotatably positioning the test specimen clamped in the clamp about a first rotation axis prior to or between performing separating cuts, wherein the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the xz-plane;   a machine housing accommodating the cut-off wheel, the coolant nozzles, the work table, and the clamp, wherein the machine housing comprises a covering hood closing the working space while the separating cuts are made and allowing a user to access the test specimen prior to and after the making of the separating cuts;   a lifting mechanism for advancing the cut-off wheel on, into and through the test specimen in a y-direction perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the cut-off wheel and parallelly to the first rotation axis, while the separating cut with the cut-off wheel is made; and   a program controller that controls the first and second linear displacement directions and the first motor and that is configured to automatically and successively execute a plurality of separating cuts through the test specimen at different positions in the xz-plane and at different rotational positions of the test specimen about the first axis when the hood is closed, thereby automatically successively cutting off a plurality of sample pieces from the test specimen at different positions in the xz-plane and at different angles with different cuts without re-clamping the test specimen between the cuts, and without user intervention.   
     
     
         2 . The cut-off machine claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first motor is a stepping motor and wherein said first motor drives a worm drive to rotatably position said test specimen about said first rotation axis. 
     
     
         3 . The cut-off machine claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said test specimen in said clamp is rotatably positioned by one of said first motor or a second motor about a second rotation axis prior to or between performing separating cuts, wherein the second rotation axis is perpendicular to the first rotation axis. 
     
     
         4 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said test specimen in said clamp is rotatably positioned by said second motor about said second axis of rotation. 
     
     
         5 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a joystick, said joystick permitting a user to manually enter into the program controller the first and second linear displacement directions and a start position of a separating cut. 
     
     
         6 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a first rotary control, said first rotary control permitting a user to manually enter into the program controller a rotational position of the test specimen about the first rotation axis for a separating cut. 
     
     
         7 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising a second rotary control, said second rotary control permitting a user to manually enter into the program controller a rotational position of the test specimen about the second rotation axis for a separating cut. 
     
     
         8 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first motor is capable of rotating said test specimen by at least 90° about said first rotation axis. 
     
     
         9 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said first motor or said second motor is capable of rotating said test specimen by at least 90° about said second rotation axis. 
     
     
         10 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a diameter measuring device for measuring a diameter of said cut-off wheel either after a user request or automatically between each of said plurality of separating cuts, and wherein the separating cuts still to be performed after the measurement are automatically adjusted by the program controller on the basis of the measured diameter of the cut-off wheel. 
     
     
         11 . The cut-off machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said diameter measuring device comprises a laser measuring device. 
     
     
         12 . A cut-off machine, comprising:
 a cut-off wheel to make separating cuts through a test specimen;   a drive motor for rotationally driving the cut-off wheel around a rotation axis;   a work table defining an xz-plane;   at least one of the work table or the cut-off wheel displaceable in a first linear displacement direction in the xz-plane to position the test specimen in the xz-plane relative to the cut-off wheel for separating cuts with the cut-off wheel;   at least one of the work table or the cut-off wheel displaceable in a second linear displacement direction in the xz-plane perpendicularly to the first linear displacement direction to position the test specimen for separating cuts with the cut-off wheel; and   a test specimen positioning device on the work table and including
 a clamp to clamp the test specimen, 
 a first motor to rotatably position the test specimen about a first rotation axis prior to or between performing separating cuts, wherein the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the xz-plane, and 
 a second motor to rotatably position the test specimen about a second rotation axis prior to or between performing separating cuts, wherein the second rotation axis is parallel to the xz-plane. 
   
     
     
         13 . The cut-off machine of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a lifting mechanism for advancing the cut-off wheel through the test specimen in a y-direction perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the cut-off wheel and parallelly to the first rotation axis; and   a program controller that controls the first and second linear displacement directions and the first motor and that is configured to automatically and successively execute a plurality of separating cuts through the test specimen at different positions in the xz-plane and at different rotational positions of the test specimen about the first axis, thereby automatically successively cutting off a plurality of sample pieces from the test specimen at different positions in the xz-plane and at different angles with different cuts without re-clamping of the test specimen between the cuts, and without user intervention.   
     
     
         14 . A cut-off machine, comprising:
 a cut-off wheel to make separating cuts through a test specimen;   a drive motor for rotationally driving the cut-off wheel around a rotation axis;   a work table defining an xz-plane;   at least one of the work table or the cut-off wheel displaceable in a first linear displacement direction in the xz-plane to position the test specimen in the xz-plane relative to the cut-off wheel for separating cuts with the cut-off wheel;   at least one of the work table or the cut-off wheel displaceable in a second linear displacement direction in the xz-plane perpendicularly to the first linear displacement direction to position the test specimen for separating cuts with the cut-off wheel;   a first motor to rotatably position the test specimen about a first rotation axis prior to or between performing separating cuts, wherein the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the xz-plane; and   a diameter measuring device for the cutting wheel, adapted to measure the diameter of the cutting wheel between separating cuts, and wherein setting and separating paths for separating cuts to be performed after the measurement are automatically adjusted on the basis of measured diameter values.   
     
     
         15 . The cut-off machine of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a test specimen positioning device on the work table and including
 a clamp to clamp the test specimen. 
   
     
     
         16 . The cut-off machine of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a lifting mechanism for advancing the cut-off wheel through the test specimen in a y-direction perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the cut-off wheel and parallelly to the first rotation axis; and   a program controller that controls the first and second linear displacement directions and the first motor and that is configured to automatically and successively execute a plurality of separating cuts through the test specimen at different positions in the xz-plane and at different rotational positions of the test specimen about the first axis, thereby automatically successively cutting off a plurality of sample pieces from the test specimen at different positions in the xz-plane and at different angles with different cuts without re-clamping of the test specimen between the cuts, and without user intervention.