Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha

Takanobu Akiyama

Hiroyuki Kakishima

Sumihisa Kondo

Satoshi Kato

Shinichi Tanaka

Katsunobu Ueda

Sumihisa Kondou

Shigetaka Akiyama

Yasuyuki Kita

A method for machining grooves in the surface of a workpiece in which a dummy groove is machined in the surface of the workpiece by moving a cutting tool relative to the workpiece in a first machining direction of the workpiece, then orienting the cutting tool 180 degrees as compared to the first machining, and subsequently second machining the dummy groove by moving the cutting tool in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A displacement of a cutting edge of the cutting tool, caused by the first and second machining of the dummy groove is measured. A groove is machined with the cutting tool in a forward stroke and then a return stoke with the cutting tool rotated 180 degrees between the strokes. A relative position between the workpiece and the cutting tool during the forward and return strokes is corrected so as to eliminate the displacement.

High-speed grooving method

The present invention provides a dicing method that achieves excellent dicing properties at low costs by removing a metal film through a metal processing operation with a diamond tool and then performing pulse laser beam irradiation. The dicing method is a method of dicing a substrate to be processed, devices being formed in the substrate to be processed, a metal film being formed on one surface of the substrate to be processed. The dicing method includes: placing the substrate to be processed onto a first stage; forming a groove portion by removing the metal film through a metal processing operation with a diamond tool; placing the substrate to be processed onto a second stage; generating a clock signal; emitting a pulse laser beam synchronized with the clock signal to the groove portion of the substrate to be processed; moving the substrate to be processed and the pulse laser beam relative to each other; switching the pulse laser beam between irradiation and non-irradiation of the substrate to be processed on a light pulse basis by controlling passing and blocking of the pulse laser beam with a pulse picker in synchronization with the clock signal; and forming cracks in the substrate to be processed, the cracks reaching the substrate surface.

Dicing methods

The cutting-edge position detecting method includes the steps of: under a condition in which the cutting edge of the tool is positioned in an image that is taken by a camera, performing first sampling scanning operations for the image in a predetermined scanning direction at predetermined first intervals, and recognizing points on an upper edge line of the cutting edge of the tool and points on a lower edge line thereof, based on brightness changing points upon the first scanning operations; connecting the recognized points on the respective two edge lines, so as to obtain two first-level approximate linear lines by a least-squares method; performing second sampling scanning operations for the respective two first-level approximate linear lines in directions perpendicular thereto at predetermined second intervals, and newly recognizing points on the upper edge line of the cutting edge of the tool and points on the lower edge line thereof, based on brightness changing points upon the second scanning operations; connecting the newly recognized points on the respective two edge lines, so as to obtain two second-level approximate linear lines by a least-squares method; and obtaining a coordinate of an intersection of the second-level approximate linear lines, as the position of the cutting edge of the tool, with respect to the measurement reference point.

Cutting-edge position detecting method and cutting-edge position detecting apparatus

The invention relates to a grinding machine for grinding a workpiece, which has been set on a chuck top surface, by moving a rotating grinding wheel in relation to the workpiece. The grinding machine includes: a microscope configured to be vertically movable; a CCD camera configured to take an image viewed through the microscope; and an image processor configured to process the image taken by the CCD camera to measure a vertical distance between a reference plane of the microscope and an object of the microscope. The image processor is adapted to measure the vertical distance between the reference plane of the microscope and the object of the microscope based on sharpness of the image, which corresponds to how clear the microscope is focused.

Grinding machine having the function of measuring distance

There is provided a roll surface machining method and apparatus for using a cutting tool to carry out ultra-precision machining in the surface of a roll with a reduced amount of data. The apparatus and method for roll surface machining includes setting a machining start position of a cutting tool with respect to the surface of the roll by C-axis indexing of the roll and positioning of the roll in the axial direction (Z-axis direction) both with respect to the cutting tool. Also the cutting tool and the roll are moved relative to each other in the axial direction of the roll by position control using C-Z axis interpolation, thereby forming a three-dimensional pattern in the surface of the roll.

Method and apparatus for roll surface machining

Method and apparatus for machining roll surface

There is provided a precision roll turning lathe which can perform machining of fine grooves at a dramatically higher speed as compared to conventional roll turning lathes, thus significantly shortening time taken for machining one groove. The precision roll turning lathe includes: a bed; a headstock, mounted on the bed, having a main spindle for rotating a roll as a workpiece while holding one end of the roll by means of a chuck; a tail stock, mounted on the bed and disposed opposite the headstock, for rotatably supporting the other end of the roll; a carriage including a saddle mounted on the bed movably in the longitudinal direction of the roll, and a table mounted on the saddle movably in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the roll; and an air slide apparatus, mounted on the table, including a guide rail extending parallel to the roll in the longitudinal direction, an air slider having a diamond tool, capable of traveling in a floating state on the guide rail, and a linear motor for driving the air slider.

Precision roll turning lathe

There is provided a roll machining apparatus for machining the surface of a roll, which can accurately support a roll by hydrostatic bearings while absorbing thermal expansion of the roll in the length direction, thus enhancing the machining precision. The roll machining apparatus can include a first hydrostatic radial bearing for receiving the radial load of a first spindle and rotatably supporting the first spindle, a hydrostatic thrust bearing for receiving the thrust load of the first spindle and limiting axial movement of the first spindle, a second hydrostatic radial bearing for receiving the radial load of a second spindle and rotatably supporting the second spindle, and a floating thrust having a thrust bearing for receiving the thrust load of the second spindle. The floating thrust selectively limits and permits axial movement of the thrust bearing.

Roll machining apparatus

There is provided a V-groove machining method and apparatus which, by measuring the depth of a V groove cut by a cutting tool and correcting the cutting depth of the cutting tool based on the measurement data, enables high precision machining of four-sided pyramids having vertices of a uniform height. The V-groove machining method includes the steps of: feeding a cutting tool relative to a workpiece in a first direction to create a first V groove, extending in the first direction, in the surface of the workpiece, and repeating this machining operation to create first V grooves at a predetermined pitch; moving the cutting tool along one of the first V grooves and scanning the first V groove with a distance sensor, disposed near the cutting tool, to measure the distance to the bottom of the first V groove, thereby detecting undulation of the bottom of the first V groove along the first direction; and feeding the cutting tool relative to the workpiece in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction to create a second V groove in the surface of the workpiece, and repeating this machining operation while correcting the position of the cutting tool in the machining position for each second V groove based on the results of detection of the undulation, thereby creating second V grooves at a predetermined pitch.

Method and apparatus for machning V grooves

A roll turning lathe is provided herein which can not only machine with high precision circumferential transverse grooves in the peripheral surface of a roll but can also machine with high precision longitudinal grooves in the peripheral surface. The precision roll turning lathe includes a fly cutter spindle device and a tool post having a plurality of cutting tools that are mounted on a tool swivel. By selectively using the tool post and the fly cutter spindle device, high-precision machining of transverse grooves and longitudinal grooves on a roll-shaped workpiece.

There is provided a precision roll turning lathe which can machine with high precision a three-dimensional pattern of three-sided pyramids or four-sided pyramids in the surface of a roll. The precision roll turning lather includes: a bed; a headstock, mounted on the bed, having a main spindle for rotating a roll as a workpiece while holding one end of the roll by means of a chuck; a tail stock, mounted on the bed and disposed opposite the headstock, for rotatably supporting the other end of the roll; a carriage including a saddle mounted on the bed movably in the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) of the roll, and a table mounted on the saddle movably in a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the roll; a tool swivel mounted on the table; a tool post mounted on the tool swivel and having a plurality of cutting tools attached thereto; a C-axis control means for performing control for carrying out circumferential indexing of the roll and control for continuously rotating the main shaft at a predetermined rotating speed; and a switching means for selective switching between the roll-indexing control and the control of continuous rotation of the main spindle.

There is provided an apparatus for preventing displacement of a retainer in a rolling guide by making use of the property of the retainer of moving half the distance of a moving object, such as a table. The apparatus for preventing displacement of a retainer in a guide apparatus having a plurality of finite rollers held by retainers and including a guide mechanism for guiding the movement of a moving object of a machine tool along guide surfaces of a bed or a saddle, and a linear motor feed mechanism for feeding the moving object, includes: a displacement regulator having a stopper for regulating the position of each retainer, the regulator being movable in conjunction of the movement of the moving object; a line of magnet plates of a linear motor for driving of the moving object, the line of magnetic plates being a constituent of a linear motor feed mechanism for the moving object and being arranged parallel to the guide surfaces; a linear motor mechanism for moving the displacement regulator in the same direction as the moving direction of the moving body; and a linear motor control means for moving the displacement regulator in synchronization with the movement of the moving object at a velocity which is one-half of the velocity of the moving object.

Apparatus for preventing displacement of retainer

The present invention provides a precision roll turning lathe which can form a pattern including three-dimensionally shaped portions, such as three-sided pyramids, on the surface of a roll, with high accuracy. Specifically, a tool post is provided with a tool turning axis (A axis) which is used to turn a tool such that, when forming a spiral groove cut through the roll, a cutting face of a tip of the tool is oriented perpendicular to a direction along which the spiral groove extends.

In an apparatus for measuring shapes of both sides of a plate, a measuring apparatus body includes a reference plane of a longitudinal surface plate disposed in an almost vertical state at one end on a metallic bed, a holding mechanism for holding a plate to be measured in almost parallel therewith, and a displacement gauge scanning column. The displacement gauge scanning column includes a first air slide for mounting a first (second) displacement gauge and a second air slide for mounting a third displacement gauge, and is moved in a horizontal axis direction along a pair of V grooves. Moreover, the first (second) air slide is moved in a vertical axis direction. A shape of one of plate surfaces of the plate to be measured is measured by the scan of the first (second) displacement gauge, and at the same time, a shape of the other surface of the plate surface is measured by the scan of the third displacement gauge.

Growing community of inventors

Numazu, Japan

Takanobu Akiyama