union7
Automotive
- Feb 18, 2011
- 8
Hi I have a CNC lathe type machine with an outboard tube support, that supports 1/2" square aluminum stock into the lathe spindle.
Currently I have my code set to do a number of parts machining loops based on the stock length.
I am considering a non-counting method instead by measuring how much stock remains.
For various reasons I won't explain now, the simplest measuring location may be to have some type of transducer at the outboard end of the support tube,pointing down the tube at the end of the stock.
So, basically what we have is a 40" steel tube with 1.2" Inside diameter.
At the far end of that tube is a steel collet, think of it as a plug at the end of the tube.
The core of that collet is 1/2" square jaws that the 1/2" Square aluminum bar passes through.
There are also some support segments in the tube spaced along the length so that when viewed from the end with no stock loaded one would see a 1/2" square window down the length of the tube..
If 36" of square stock is loaded into the support tube ,after loading a transducer..laser or...? Could be positioned to measure the distance to the end of the stock as it is fed away from the transducer.
The difficulty might be that the transmitter and receiver need to deal with the 1/2" square corridor available to transmit and receive within.
Sinc the square is rotating or at least in a random position during stopped measurement, it's effectively a circular window of only 1/2" diameter.
Can anyone recommend an appropriate sensor or type of sensor to look for?
Laser?.
..Ultrasonic (i doubt because of support segment interference)
Optical (but transmitter and Receiver would have to be really close)
Distance resolution only need to be around +1 1/2" as I'm only concerned the collet has enough grip for the final part, or else it ends the process.
(I don't want to use the method of overpulling the stock and checking if it is long enough and then feeding it back in)
(There is no access to the near-final stock position, collet end..and even if there was, well let's stick to the idea of non contact measurement from the far end of the tube, because it has advantages for me)
Currently I have my code set to do a number of parts machining loops based on the stock length.
I am considering a non-counting method instead by measuring how much stock remains.
For various reasons I won't explain now, the simplest measuring location may be to have some type of transducer at the outboard end of the support tube,pointing down the tube at the end of the stock.
So, basically what we have is a 40" steel tube with 1.2" Inside diameter.
At the far end of that tube is a steel collet, think of it as a plug at the end of the tube.
The core of that collet is 1/2" square jaws that the 1/2" Square aluminum bar passes through.
There are also some support segments in the tube spaced along the length so that when viewed from the end with no stock loaded one would see a 1/2" square window down the length of the tube..
If 36" of square stock is loaded into the support tube ,after loading a transducer..laser or...? Could be positioned to measure the distance to the end of the stock as it is fed away from the transducer.
The difficulty might be that the transmitter and receiver need to deal with the 1/2" square corridor available to transmit and receive within.
Sinc the square is rotating or at least in a random position during stopped measurement, it's effectively a circular window of only 1/2" diameter.
Can anyone recommend an appropriate sensor or type of sensor to look for?
Laser?.
..Ultrasonic (i doubt because of support segment interference)
Optical (but transmitter and Receiver would have to be really close)
Distance resolution only need to be around +1 1/2" as I'm only concerned the collet has enough grip for the final part, or else it ends the process.
(I don't want to use the method of overpulling the stock and checking if it is long enough and then feeding it back in)
(There is no access to the near-final stock position, collet end..and even if there was, well let's stick to the idea of non contact measurement from the far end of the tube, because it has advantages for me)