Method and apparatus for machining a workpiece

Abstract

An example method includes performing a machining operation by providing linear movement of a tool along a feed axis relative to a workpiece while superimposing oscillation of the tool onto the feed axis and providing rotation of the tool relative to the workpiece. During an optimization mode, the machining operation is performed on a first workpiece portion while providing the linear movement at an initial feed velocity, and sequentially superimposing the oscillating at a plurality of different frequencies. An optimal oscillation frequency is determined from the plurality of different frequencies which causes the tool to apply less force to the first workpiece portion at the initial feed velocity than others of the frequencies. During a run mode, the machining operation is performed on a second workpiece portion having a same composition as the first workpiece portion while superimposing the oscillation at the optimal oscillation frequency.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 performing a machining operation by providing linear movement of a tool along a feed axis relative to a workpiece while superimposing oscillation of the tool onto the feed axis and providing rotation of the tool relative to the workpiece;   during an optimization mode:
 performing the machining operation on a first workpiece portion while providing the linear movement at an initial feed velocity, and sequentially superimposing the oscillating at a plurality of different frequencies; and 
 determining one of the plurality of different frequencies that causes the tool to apply less force to the first workpiece portion at the initial feed velocity than others of the frequencies at the initial feed velocity to be an optimal oscillation frequency; and 
   during a run mode, performing the machining operation on a second workpiece portion having a same composition as the first workpiece portion while superimposing the oscillation at the optimal oscillation frequency;   wherein the first workpiece portion and second workpiece portion are part of a same workpiece or different workpieces.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining one of the plurality of different frequencies that causes the tool to apply less force to the first workpiece portion at the initial feed velocity than others of the frequencies comprises determining whichever of the plurality of different frequencies causes the tool to apply a smallest amount of force to the first workpiece portion at the initial feed velocity to be the optimal oscillation frequency. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sequentially superimposing the oscillation at a plurality of different frequencies comprises performing a frequency sweep within a frequency band. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the force is a thrust force and said providing linear movement comprises providing current to a stator of a linear motor, the method comprising determining a thrust force applied by the tool to the first workpiece portion based on an amount of current provided to the stator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said providing linear movement at the initial feed velocity comprises adjusting an amount of current provided to the stator based on a feedback signal from a position sensor to maintain the initial feed velocity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the force is a thrust force and the run mode is a force mode, the method comprising, during the force mode:
 utilizing a feed velocity for the tool that is different than the initial velocity; and   controlling the thrust force applied by the tool to the second workpiece portion to be within a predefined amount of a maximum force threshold without exceeding the maximum force threshold.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing linear movement of the tool comprises advancing the tool in a first direction, the method comprising, after the machining operation:
 retracting the tool away from the workpiece along the feed axis in a second direction opposite the first direction; and   superimposing oscillation of the tool onto the feed axis during said retracting.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first workpiece portion has a plurality of layers, and the second workpiece portion has a plurality of layers corresponding to the plurality of layers of the first workpiece portion, the method comprising:
 during the optimization mode, determining the optimal oscillation frequency for each of the plurality of layers of the first workpiece portion; and   during the run mode, for each layer of the second workpiece portion, utilizing the optimal oscillation frequency of the corresponding layer of the first workpiece portion.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the machining operation is a drilling operation that drills a hole from a first side to a second side of a workpiece portion, the second side opposite to the first side, the method comprising determining that the tool has advanced beyond the second side based on a rate of change of a feed velocity of the tool exceeding a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tool is a rotary tool that rotates about the longitudinal feed axis, the method comprising:
 rotating the rotary tool at an approximately constant rotational velocity during the optimization mode.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 during an additional optimization mode:
 performing the machining operation on a third workpiece portion while superimposing the oscillating at the optimal oscillation frequency and rotating the tool at a plurality of different rotational velocities; and 
 determining one of the plurality of different rotational velocities that causes the tool to apply less thrust force to the third workpiece portion while oscillating at the optimal oscillation frequency than others of the rotational velocities at the optimal oscillation frequency to be an optimal rotational velocity; 
   wherein during the run mode, the tool is rotated at the optimal rotational velocity; and   wherein the third workpiece portion is part of a same workpiece as at least one of the first and second workpiece portions or is part of a different workpiece than each of the first and second workpiece portions.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining that the tool has encountered a non-homogenous zone of the second workpiece portion based on a linear feed velocity of the tool changing by more than a predefined percent while the oscillating is superimposed at the optimal oscillation frequency; and   based on the determination that the tool has encountered the non-homogenous zone, entering an adaptive run mode which includes sequentially superimposing the oscillating at a second plurality of different frequencies, and modifying the optimal oscillation frequency for at least the non-homogenous zone of the workpiece to one of the second plurality of different frequencies that enables the tool to apply less thrust force to the non-homogenous zone at a given feed velocity than the unmodified optimal oscillation frequency, enables the tool to travel at a higher feed velocity in the non-homogenous zone at a given thrust force than the un-modified optimal oscillation frequency, or both.   
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a tool, comprising:
 oscillating a direct current (DC) control signal provided to a linear motor, and thereby causing the linear motor to both provide linear movement of a tool along a feed axis relative to a workpiece and superimpose oscillation of the tool onto the feed axis during the linear movement.   
     
     
         14 . A machining device comprising:
 a tool;   a linear motor comprising a core and stator that each surround a longitudinal feed axis, the linear motor operable to provide linear movement of the tool relative to the stator along the longitudinal feed axis, and superimpose oscillation of the tool onto the feed axis during said linear movement;   a rotary motor operable to rotate the tool about the longitudinal feed axis during said linear movement; and   a controller operable to cause the linear motor to provide the linear movement and superimpose the oscillation by oscillating a direct current (DC) control signal provided to the linear motor.   
     
     
         15 . The machining device of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a sensor operable to measure at least one machining parameter related to the linear movement, rotation of the tool, or both;   wherein the controller is operable to control the linear motor, rotary motor, or both based on feedback from the sensor.   
     
     
         16 . The machining device of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a support housing having opposing first and second sides, and defining an internal cavity, the linear motor and rotary motor mounted to the support housing; and   a driveshaft that couples the linear motor to the tool and extends through the internal cavity;   wherein a central longitudinal axis of the rotary motor is parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal feed axis, and a drive mechanism within the internal cavity translates rotation of a spindle of the rotary motor to rotation of the driveshaft.   
     
     
         17 . The machining device of  claim 14 , wherein:
 in an optimization mode, the controller is configured to:
 command the linear and rotary motors to cooperate and perform a machining operation on a first workpiece portion while the linear motor provides said linear movement at an initial feed velocity and superimposes the oscillation sequentially at a plurality of different frequencies; and 
 determine one of the plurality of different frequencies that causes the tool to apply less force to the first workpiece portion at the initial feed velocity than others of the frequencies at the initial feed velocity to be an optimal oscillation frequency; and 
   in a run mode, the controller is configured to perform the machining operation on a second workpiece portion having a same composition as the first workpiece portion while superimposing the oscillation at the optimal oscillation frequency;   wherein the first workpiece portion and second workpiece portion are part of a same workpiece or different workpieces.   
     
     
         18 . The machining device of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises a displacement transducer operable to measure a linear displacement of the tool relative to the stator. 
     
     
         19 . The machining device of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a sleeve having a radially outer surface secured to the rotary motor, and a radially inner surface that engages a rotary shaft of the rotary motor and imparts rotation from the rotary motor to the rotary shaft and tool;   wherein a cross section of the rotary shaft has a non-circular shape that engages the radially inner surface.   
     
     
         20 . The machining device of  claim 14 , wherein the stator of the rotary motor comprises a radially outer portion and a radially inner portion and a cavity therebetween, the core of the linear motor at least partially received into the cavity.