Ford Motor Company Limited

Robert C Petrof

Nathaniel L Field

David James Chesney

Charles O McHugh

Bernard Huang

John W Grant

A linear motor control system and method to increase apparent motor stiffness by providing linear motor resistance to perturbations caused by external forces exerted on a slide mass and a base mass. Primary and secondary sensors detect the accelerations of the slide mass and the base mass relative to ground and generate acceleration signals corresponding thereto. A position detector senses the position of the slide mass relative to the base mass and generates a position signal corresponding thereto. A signal processor processes the first and second acceleration signals and the position signal to determine deviations in the position, velocity and acceleration of the slide mass relative to the base mass from selected values caused by the external forces, and to generate a motor control signal to provide linear motor resistance against such deviations.

Linear motor control system and method

A method is disclosed of determining worn rotary tools during machining operations, comprising: (a) establishing the steady-state dominant tool force level required to (i) carry out a rotary machining operation at a given set of cutting conditions in the abrasive wear regime, (ii) using a known worn rotary tool with a given geometry, and (iii) using a workpiece of given material; (b) supporting another rotary tool of the same given geometry in a holder for being power driven for rotation, the holder having means to impart a signal in response to exceeding a predetermined force level calibrated to be just below the steady-state force level of the worn tool; and (c) while employing the support tool, initiating an automatic tool change in response to any signal imparted by the tool support.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Robert C Petrof