Tracer Control of Machine Tools
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Tracer Control of Machine Tools
Tracer Control of Machine Tools - Spherical and contoured surfaces can be machined on the workpiece with tracer-controlled devices. A tracer pin moving in constant touch with the template sends corresponding signals to the cutting tool which machines the required contoured surface on the workpiece, reproducing the contour of the template, (Fig.)
360° Profiling (A) ID Profile, (B) OD Pofile
180° Pick Feed Scanning
Cutter Path During Contoued Surface Machining
| A - Automatic | B - Scan Length | C - Scan Width |
To start with, in tracer controlled machine tools, i.e., duplicators copying machine tools etc.) there is a master form, or template which is of the desired shape that is to be produced on the workpiece. The master form may be a previously machined part. The template is fixed on the machine tool.
A tracer pin or stylus contacts the edge of the template and moves along it (Fig.)
The direction in which the machine slide/the cutting tool moves is automatically changed to correspond to the direction and shape of the template edge thereby producing the shape of the template on the workpiece (Fig.).
The machine tool cutter follows the motion of the tracer-pin/stylus by one of the following systems.
(i) Mechanical
(ii) Hydraulic
(iii) Electro hydraulic
(iv)Optical contact etc.
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