Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method of building a machine system having a plurality of cutting machines involves a taking of the final print tolerance and budgeting and using the tolerances for fixtures and machines in a manner to determine stiffness requirements and tolerances for such as tool cut depth, tracking of feed slide and perpendicularity of the spindle face. To gauge very fine tolerances, special reference datum surfaces are provided on the fixtures and machines to provide a 'granite' plane from which very precise measurements may be made to set up initially the machine with the assigned tolerances. Indicators can be mounted on the spindle to sweep the targets on the fixture to level the spindle face to very fine tolerances. An indicator traveling with cutting head along a feed slide may sweep targets on the fixture and a tracking means may be adjusted to a precise tracking tolerance. By using an indicator to sweep one target on the fixture and another target on the feed head, the depth of the cut may be held to a very precise, low tolerance. After usage of the machine system for a while, wear or damage to one machine and/or a fixture may cause the parts to be out of tolerance. Parts are examined after each machining step. If a machine is not producing parts to its process tolerances, indicators are attached to the machine and/or fixture and the targets are swept and the machine and/or fixture is realigned to produce parts to the original in-process tolerances. The preferred targets are very precise reference devices having a precisely finished surface to be mounted on the machine or fixture; and a second outer parallel datum reference surface, which is machine parallel to and axially movable with respect to the precisely finished surface at micrometer increments. Micrometer indicia on the targets are recorded.

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First Claim