Machining apparatus having a light signal display device, and method

Abstract

Machining apparatus (2), in particular wide-belt sander for machining preferably board-type workpieces (W) preferably made at least in part of wood, engineered wood and/or plastic, comprising at least one light signal display device (10) which displays information on the machining apparatus (2) in such a way that the information displayed by the light signal display device (10) is visible to an operator.

1 . A machining apparatus comprising:
 a control device; and   at least one light signal display device which displays information on the machining apparatus such that the information displayed by the light signal display device is visible to an operator,   wherein the control device is configured to control the light signal display device such that a wear condition of at least one tool of the machining apparatus or an advantageous insertion position of a workpiece to be machined is displayed as information to the operator.   
     
     
         2 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light signal display device is provided at an insertion area of the machining apparatus, at which the workpiece to be machined can be inserted or is movable toward the tool by a conveyor, or the light signal display device displays the information on the insertion area. 
     
     
         3 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the light signal display device is configured in the form of a display bar extending partially or completely along the insertion area, or
 wherein the information is displayed such that it extends partially or completely along the insertion area.   
     
     
         4 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light signal display device can display to the operator by different colors the wear condition of the tool or the advantageous insertion position of the workpiece to be machined, by the colors green, yellow and red, and
 wherein green is used for a good condition or a desired position, yellow for an average condition or a less desired position and red for a poor condition or an undesired position.   
     
     
         5 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a workpiece detection device, by means of which length measurements of the workpiece and an insertion position of the workpiece in the insertion area of the machining apparatus can be detected. 
     
     
         6 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to determine by an engaging time of the tool the wear condition of the tool, and to display it to the operator by controlling the light signal display device. 
     
     
         7 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the control device determines over the engaging time of the tool the wear condition of the tool by means of the detected length measurements of the machined workpieces and the respective insertion position thereof in the machining apparatus as well as by respective machining parameters. 
     
     
         8 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to determine, by means of a determined wear condition of the tool and by the detected length measurements of the workpiece to be machined, the advantageous insertion position of the workpiece to be machined and to display it to the operator by the light signal display device. 
     
     
         9 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to stochastically or chaotically determine the advantageous insertion position. 
     
     
         10 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein furthermore an inspection apparatus is provided adapted to determine a surface condition, such as grain direction, of the workpiece to be machined and to display to the operator, according to the determined surface condition, an advantageous insertion position and/or advantageous insertion orientation by the light signal display device. 
     
     
         11 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light display device is configured as a projection unit. 
     
     
         12 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light display device is configured as an LED bar, or an OLED bar. 
     
     
         13 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool is an abrasive belt, an abrasive roller, a polishing roller, or a disk brush. 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating a machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 determining the wear condition of a tool of the machining apparatus;   displaying the determined wear condition of the tool by a light signal display device and;   displaying an advantageous insertion position of the workpiece to be machined in the machining apparatus by the light signal display device.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , the method further comprising:
 detecting length measurements of the workpiece to be machined;   detecting the insertion position of the workpiece to be machined in an insertion area of the machining apparatus;   checking whether a wear condition of the tool was already determined;   determining wear of the tool based on the detected length measurements of the detected insertion position and given machining parameters;   determining a current wear condition by accumulating a current wear condition and the determined wear; and   storing the determined current wear condition.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein over an engaging time of the tool the current wear condition of the tool is determined based on an accumulation of determined wear of the tool. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , the method further comprising:
 detecting the length measurements of the workpiece to be machined before insertion of the workpiece to be machined into the insertion area;   checking the current wear condition of the tool;   determining the advantageous insertion position based on the current wear condition of the tool and the detected length measurements of the workpiece to be machined; and   displaying the advantageous insertion position by means of the light signal display device.   
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 using least one light signal display device mounted to the machining apparatus according to  claim 1 ; or   displaying thereon information to display to an operator a wear condition of at least one tool of the machining apparatus or an advantageous insertion position of a workpiece to be machined.   
     
     
         19 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the machining apparatus is a wide-belt sander. 
     
     
         20 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the machining apparatus is for machining panel-shaped workpieces. 
     
     
         21 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the panel-shaped workpieces consist at least in part of wood, wood material or synthetic. 
     
     
         22 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the light signal display device is disposed in the vertical direction above the insertion area or displays the information at this position. 
     
     
         23 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein color gradients can be used for the display. 
     
     
         24 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the length measurements of the workpiece and the insertion position of the workpiece in the insertion area of the machining apparatus can be determined even before insertion into the insertion area. 
     
     
         25 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the respective parameters comprise at least one of machining time, machining forces, grinding time or contact pressure. 
     
     
         26 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the projection unit comprises a projector. 
     
     
         27 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein a resolution of the light display device is less than 5 cm. 
     
     
         28 . The machining apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the resolution of the light display device is less than 2 cm. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the advantageous insertion position based on the determined wear condition of the tool is stochastically or chaotically determined.