Operating Cycles of Automatic Machine Tools

Operating Cycles of Automatic Machine Tools

Operating Cycles of Automatic Machine Tools - An automatic operating cycle is the whole complex of periodically repeated movements of the main and auxiliary working members of a machine tool that are required to machine a workpiece and that take place under the conditions of automatic control in a definite sequence, according to definite laws of motion, at definite sections of the paths.

The cycle in automatic machine tools is usually of the closed type, i.e., at the end of the cycle each working member comes to a position which is its initial point in next cycle. A general automatic cycle consists of the particular cycles of the main and auxiliary working members.

The main working members of an automatic machine tool participate directly in the cutting process. Auxiliary members do not participate directly in the cutting process, though their operation is part of the general automatic cycle.

A semiautomatic cycle includes certain non automatic handling operations which are accomplished with the participation of the operator. As a rule, such operations include loading, clamping, unclamping, releasing and removing the workpiece, and starting the machine to repeat the operating cycle.

As their name infers, semiautomatic machine tools operate on a semiautomatic cycle.In the setting up mode of operation of automatic and semiautomatic machine tools the movements of the working members are manually controlled by the operator (or setter up).