1. A power management method for an aircraft having a backup power supply and a number of aircraft systems, the aircraft systems including an electric brake system, the method comprising:
receiving a towing power control signal thereby enabling a towing power mode for said aircraft;
in response to the towing power control signal, providing power from the backup power supply to aircraft systems needed for towing operations, including the electric brake system; and
preventing distribution of power from the backup power supply to aircraft systems other than the electric brake system that are not essential for towing operations associated with towing said aircraft.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising operating the electric brake system with the backup power supply.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing power from the backup power supply comprises providing power to a navigationposition lighting system of the aircraft.
4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising generating the towing power control signal in response to an ON state of a towing power switch.
5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising powering down the electric brake system in response to an OFF state of the towing power switch.
6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
maintaining a shutdown timer for the electric brake system; and
automatically powering down the electric brake system if the shutdown timer indicates a time period longer than a threshold time period.
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the time period corresponds to a time since a last braking command was processed by the electric brake system.
8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the time period corresponds to a time during which the aircraft has remained stationary.
9. A power management system for an aircraft having an electric brake system, the power management system comprising:
a backup power supply configured to provide power to systems of the aircraft in the absence of active power;
a power control unit coupled to the electric brake system and coupled to the backup power supply, the power control unit being configured to regulate the distribution of power from the backup power supply to the electric brake system; and
a power switching arrangement coupled to the power control unit, the power switching arrangement being configured to:
enable the power control unit to provide power from the backup power supply to aircraft systems needed for towing operations, including the electric brake system; and
prevent distribution of power from the backup power supply to aircraft systems other than the electric brake system that are not essential for towing operations associated with towing said aircraft, said power switching arrangement enabled upon receiving a towing power control signal thereby enabling a towing power mode for said aircraft.
10. A system according to claim 9, wherein:
the power switching arrangement is configured to generate a towing power control signal for the power control unit; and
the power control unit is configured to respond to the towing power control signal to provide power from the backup power supply to aircraft systems needed for towing operations.
11. A system according to claim 9, wherein:
the power switching arrangement comprises a towing power switch; and
the power control unit is configured to respond to an ON state of the towing power switch to provide power from the backup power supply to aircraft systems needed for towing operations.
12. A system according to claim 9, wherein:
the power switching arrangement comprises a towing power switch; and
the power control unit is configured to power down the electric brake system in response to an OFF state of the towing power switch.
13. A system according to claim 9, further comprising a shutdown timer for the electric brake system, wherein the power control unit is configured to automatically power down the electric brake system if the shutdown timer indicates a time period longer than a threshold time period.
14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the time period corresponds to a time since a last braking command was processed by the electric brake system.
15. A system according to claim 13, wherein the time period corresponds to a time during which the aircraft has remained stationary.
16. A power control unit for an aircraft having a backup power supply and a number of aircraft systems, the aircraft systems including an electric brake system, the power control unit comprising:
a control signal input configured to receive a towing power control signal enabling a towing power mode for said aircraft;
a power input configured for coupling to the backup power supply; and
processing logic configured to enable operation in said towing power mode, in response to the towing power control signal, to provide power from the backup power supply to a limited number of aircraft systems essential for operations associated with towing said aircraft, including the electric brake system, and preventing distribution of power from the backup power supply to aircraft systems other than the electric brake system that are not essential for towing operations associated with towing said aircraft.
17. A power control unit according to claim 16, further comprising a power output configured for coupling to the electric brake system.
18. A power control unit according to claim 16, further comprising a power output configured for coupling to a navigationposition lighting system of the aircraft, wherein the processing logic is configured to provide power from the backup power supply to the navigationposition lighting system during operation in the towing power mode.
19. A power control unit according to claim 16, wherein:
the control signal input is configured for coupling to a towing power switch; and
the towing power control signal indicates an ON state of the towing power switch.
20. A power control unit according to claim 16, further comprising a shutdown timer, wherein the processing logic of the power control unit is configured to automatically power down the electric brake system if the shutdown timer indicates a time period longer than a threshold time period.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A material removing machine tool (1) with a work piece (100) driven in rotation about a rotation axis (10), which machine tool comprises:
a bed (5);
a cold rolling unit (2) including a plurality of forming rollers (13a, b) and a base element (8) supporting the forming rollers (13a, b);
a turning machine including a plurality of material removing tools (22a, 22b) supported thereon, said turning machine also including a tool support (19) supporting the plurality of material removing tools;
a plurality of Z-guides (6d, 6c, 6b) on the bed for guiding movements of the tool support (19) in a direction of a Z-axis that is parallel to the rotation axis;
a plurality of Z-guides (6c, 6b, 6a) on the bed for guiding movements of the base element (8) in a direction of a Z-axis that is parallel to the rotation axis,
wherein some, but not all, of the plurality of Z-guides for guiding movements of the tool support (19) are the same as the plurality of Z-guides for guiding movements of the base element (8).
2. The material removing machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the work piece is mounted in a spindle (17\u2032) for rotation about the rotation axis (10), and wherein the tool support (19) is located between the cold rolling unit (2) and the spindle (17\u2032).
3. The material removing machine tool according to claim 1,
wherein the base element (8) is moveable along the bed (5), and
wherein at least two forming roller units (9a, b) are moveable along the base element (8) in a direction towards the rotation axis (10) and in a direction away from the rotation axis (10), and
wherein the forming roller units are moved by hydraulic cylinders (15a, b).
4. The material removing machine tool according to claim 3, wherein the forming roller units (9a, b) each include a respective drive motor (12a, b) for a respective one of the forming rollers (13a, b), and wherein the drive motors (12a, b) are synchronized with one another.
5. The material removing machine tool according to claim 3, wherein the cold rolling unit (2) includes a tail stock center (14) which is moveable along the base element (8) of the cold rolling unit (2) along the Z axis far enough, so that the tail stock center (14) can support the work piece (100) during material removing processing.
6. The material removing machine tool according to claim 3, wherein the work piece is mounted in a work piece spindle (17\u2032) for rotation about the rotation axis (10), and wherein the machine tool (1) includes a tail stock or an opposite spindle that is located on an opposite side of the bed from the work piece spindle (17\u2032), and wherein the forming roller units (9a, b) can be moved along the base element (8) and can be moved apart far enough in the direction (11) away from the rotation axis (10), so that the forming roller units can be moved in the direction of the Z-axis beyond a forward free end, which is configured to engage the work piece, of the tail stock center or of the opposite spindle of the machine tool (1).
7. The material removing machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the forming rollers (13a, b) are each driven by a respective drive (12a, 12b), and
wherein the machine tool (1) includes a control (16) which receives and processes signals with respect to speed and angular position of the forming roller drives and uses the signals for controlling material removing processing of the work piece (100).
8. The material removing machine tool according to claim 7, wherein the machine tool (1) includes an automated measuring device for measuring the work piece (100), and the control (16) is configured to use measuring results of the measuring device for automatically adjusting the cold rolling unit (2).
9. The material removing machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the cold rolling unit (2) is controlled by a control (16) of the machine tool (1).
10. The material removing machine tool according to claim 1, wherein covers (23a, b, 24) are provided that are moveable and are configured to completely enclose the cold rolling unit (2).
11. The material removing machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the base element (8) is closed in an annular circumferential direction and internally supports forming roller units (9a, b) and is made from an integral one piece C-shaped base component (8a) which is moveable along the bed (5) and from a pull rod (8b) connecting the free ends of the C-shaped base component (8a).