Hurco Companies, Inc.

Gerald Traicoff

Frederick W Gross

David C Adair

Gregory S Volovic

Kishore Lankalapalli

David E Platts

Robert J Gorgol, Jr

Michael R Wright

Daniel B French

Michael A Dupont

Gregory A Head

Stefan Okrongli

Aleksandr Shkiler

Robert J Gorgol Jr

Robert J Gorgol

Nick Szczypiorski

Donald Hammer

The present invention provides a system and method for tool use management wherein a CNC machine retains information identifying the tools associated with the machine as well as their current locations (if any), and executes an algorithm for determining the source tools needed by a part program and matching the source tools with the available tools.

System and method for tool use management

A CNC machine tool control system that includes a controllable, movable tool for shaping a workpiece, a mechanism for receiving control instructions describing shaping functions to be performed on the workpiece, a processing unit and memory. The control systems includes objects defined according to an object oriented design. One type of object is a model of a shaping process to be performed on a workpiece, including informational parameters regarding the physical dimensions of the shape resulting from the process. The process objects communicates through an object oriented messaging system to machine objects, which represent physical devices present on the CNC machine on which the control system operates. The system also includes object oriented motion control and exception handler objects, each of which may communication with other object via object oriented messages. The control system permits easy modifications to the control system by persons with limited knowledge about the entire control system, and is readily adaptable to advances in new CNC machine tools.

CNC control system

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Carmel, IN, United States of America

Gerald Traicoff