Movement control of material removal systems

Abstract

In some examples, a material removal system may control movement of a material removal machine based on whether a material removal tool is in contact with a sample. A material removal system may include a material removal machine (e.g., saw, grinder, polisher, and/or more general material preparation and/or testing machine) that is configured to move at the urging of one or more actuators. The system may further include control circuitry configured to control movement (and/or speed, acceleration, etc.) of the material removal machine (e.g., via the actuators) based on one or more power, thermal, position, and/or other parameters that indicate whether the material removal tool of the material removal machine is in contact with a sample.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of moving a material removal machine, the method comprising:
 moving the material removal machine via a drive assembly, the material removal machine comprising a material removal tool;   determining, via control circuitry, a threshold based on a tool property of the material removal tool, a sample property of a sample to be worked upon by the material removal tool, or a prior movement mode of the material removal tool; and   modifying movement of the material removal machine in response to a parameter, or a change in the parameter, of the material removal machine rising above, or falling below, the threshold,   the parameter comprising at least a position parameter, the position parameter comprising a first distance between the material removal tool and the sample, or a second distance between the material removal tool and a mechanism retaining the sample.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material removal machine is moved via the drive assembly in a first mode when the parameter is below the threshold, and the material removal machine is moved in a second mode when the parameter is above the threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the material removal machine is moved at a first speed, at a first acceleration, or in a first direction in the first mode, and at a second speed, at a second acceleration, or in a second direction in the second mode. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the prior movement mode comprises the first mode or the second mode. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the threshold is determined based on the prior movement mode. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the threshold is determined based on the tool property or the sample property. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the tool property comprises an actual rotational speed of the material removal tool, a target rotational speed of the material removal tool, a radius of the material removal tool, a diameter of the material removal tool, a thickness of the material removal tool, a weight of the material removal tool, or a mass of the material removal tool, or the sample property comprises a weight of the sample, a mass of the sample, or a size of a device retaining the sample. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material removal machine is moved along or about an axis defined by the drive assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parameter further comprises a power parameter or a thermal parameter, wherein the power parameter comprises a power related to actuation of the material removal tool, and the thermal parameter comprises thermal energy produced through actuation of the material removal tool. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the parameter further comprises the power parameter, and the power parameter comprises a voltage, enthalpy, or electromagnetic field. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 moving a material removal machine via a drive assembly, the material removal machine comprising a material removal tool;   determining, via control circuitry, a threshold based on a tool property of the material removal tool,   the tool property of the material removal tool comprising an actual rotational speed of the material removal tool, a target rotational speed of the material removal tool, a radius of the material removal tool, a diameter of the material removal tool, a thickness of the material removal tool, a weight of the material removal tool, or a mass of the material removal tool; and   modifying movement of the material removal machine in response an electric current used to actuate the material removal tool, or a change in the electric current used to actuate the material removal tool, rising above, or falling below, the threshold.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the material removal machine is moved via the drive assembly in a first mode when the electric current is below a threshold, and the material removal machine is moved in a second mode when the electric current is above the threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the material removal machine is moved at a first speed, at a first acceleration, or in a first direction in the first mode, and at a second speed, at a second acceleration, or in a second direction in the second mode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising determining the threshold, via the control circuitry, based on the tool property and a prior movement mode, the prior movement mode comprising the first mode or the second mode. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining the threshold, via the control circuitry, based on the tool property and a sample property of a sample to be worked upon by the material removal tool. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the sample property comprises a weight of the sample, a mass of the sample, a size of the sample, or a size of a device retaining the sample. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising measuring the electric current using a sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sensor is integrated with a tool actuator controller configured to control actuation of the material removal tool. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the material removal machine is moved along or about an axis defined by the drive assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the material removal tool comprises a saw blade, an abrasive saw, a grinder, or a polisher.