Geometric Error Identification of Gantry-Type CNC Machine Tool Based on Multi-Station Synchronization Laser Tracers

Laser tracers are a three-dimensional coordinate measurement system that are widely used in industrial measurement.We propose a geometric error identification method based on multi-station synchronization laser tracers to enable the rapid and high-precision measurement of geometric errors for gantry-type computer numerical control(CNC)machine tools.This method also improves on the existing measurement efficiency issues in the single-base station measurement method and multi-base station time-sharing measurement method.We consider a three-axis gantry-type CNC machine tool,and the geometric error mathematical model is derived and established based on the combination of screw theory and a topological analysis of the machine kinematic chain.The four-station laser tracers position and measurement points are realized based on the multi-point positioning principle.A self-calibration algorithm is proposed for the coordinate calibration process of a laser tracer using the Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear least squares method,and the geometric error is solved using Taylor’s first-order linearization iteration.The experimental results show that the geometric error calculated based on this modeling method is comparable to the results from the Etalon laser tracer.For a volume of 800 mm×1000 mm×350 mm,the maximum differences of the linear,angular,and spatial position errors were 2.0μm,2.7μrad,and 12.0μm,respectively,which verifies the accuracy of the proposed algorithm.This research proposes a modeling method for the precise measurement of errors in machine tools,and the applied nature of this study also makes it relevant both to researchers and those in the industrial sector.

Numerical Investigation of Thermal Behavior of CNC Machine Tool and Its Effects on Dimensional Accuracy of Machined Parts

The dimensional accuracy of machined parts is strongly influenced by the thermal behavior of machine tools (MT). Minimizing this influence represents a key objective for any modern manufacturing industry. Thermally induced positioning error compensation remains the most effective and practical method in this context. However, the efficiency of the compensation process depends on the quality of the model used to predict the thermal errors. The model should consistently reflect the relationships between temperature distribution in the MT structure and thermally induced positioning errors. A judicious choice of the number and location of temperature sensitive points to represent heat distribution is a key factor for robust thermal error modeling. Therefore, in this paper, the temperature sensitive points are selected following a structured thermomechanical analysis carried out to evaluate the effects of various temperature gradients on MT structure deformation intensity. The MT thermal behavior is first modeled using finite element method and validated by various experimentally measured temperature fields using temperature sensors and thermal imaging. MT Thermal behavior validation shows a maximum error of less than 10% when comparing the numerical estimations with the experimental results even under changing operation conditions. The numerical model is used through several series of simulations carried out using varied working condition to explore possible relationships between temperature distribution and thermal deformation characteristics to select the most appropriate temperature sensitive points that will be considered for building an empirical prediction model for thermal errors as function of MT thermal state. Validation tests achieved using an artificial neural network based simplified model confirmed the efficiency of the proposed temperature sensitive points allowing the prediction of the thermally induced errors with an accuracy greater than 90%.

Virtual System Solution of CNC Machine for Spiral Bevel and Hypoid Gears

A virtual computerized numerical control C CNC） processing system is built for spiral bevel and hypoid gears. The pre-designed process of the solution to locate the way of realization is investigated. A kind of combined programming method and principle of solid modeling are chosen. Multienvironmental programming thought and the inter-connected mechanisms between different environments are applied in the proposed system. The problems of data exchange and compatibility of modules are settled. Environment of the system is founded with object oriented programming thought. AutoCAD is located as the graphic environment. Matlab is used for editing the computation module. Virtual C ＋＋6.0 is the realization environment of the main module. Windows is the platform for realizing the multi-environmental method. Through establishing the virtual system based windows message handling mechanism and the component object model, the application of multienvironmental programming is realized in the manufacture system simulation. The virtual gear product can be achieved in the accomplished software.

CPS Modeling of CNC Machine Tool Work Processes Using an Instruction-Domain Based Approach

Building cyber-physical system(CPS) models of machine tools is a key technology for intelligent manufacturing. The massive electronic data from a computer numerical control(CNC) system during the work processes of a CNC machine tool is the main source of the big data on which a CPS model is established. In this work-process model, a method based on instruction domain is applied to analyze the electronic big data, and a quantitative description of the numerical control(NC) processes is built according to the G code of the processes. Utilizing the instruction domain, a work-process CPS model is established on the basis of the accurate, real-time mapping of the manufacturing tasks, resources, and status of the CNC machine tool. Using such models, case studies are conducted on intelligent-machining applications, such as the optimization of NC processing parameters and the health assurance of CNC machine tools.

Actualities and Development of Heavy-Duty CNC Machine Tool Thermal Error Monitoring Technology

Thermal error monitoring technology is the key technological support to solve the thermal error problem of heavy-duty CNC （computer numerical control） machine tools. Currently, there are many review literatures intro- ducing the thermal error research of CNC machine tools, but those mainly focus on the thermal issues in small and medium-sized CNC machine tools and seldom introduce thermal error monitoring technologies. This paper gives an overview of the research on the thermal error of CNC machine tools and emphasizes the study of thermal error of the heavy-duty CNC machine tool in three areas. These areas are the causes of thermal error of heavy-duty CNC machine tool and the issues with the temperature moni- toring technology and thermal deformation monitoring technology. A new optical measurement technology called the ＂fiber Bragg grating （FBG） distributed sensing tech- nology＂ for heavy-duty CNC machine tools is introduced in detail. This technology forms an intelligent sensing and monitoring system for heavy-duty CNC machine tools. This paper fills in the blank of this kind of review articlesto guide the development of this industry field and opens up new areas of research on the heavy-duty CNC machine tool thermal error.

Thermal Error Modeling Method with the Jamming of Temperature-Sensitive Points'Volatility on CNC Machine Tools

Aiming at the deficiency of the robustness of thermal error compensation models of CNC machine tools, the mechanism of improving the models＇ robustness is studied by regarding the Leaderway-V450 machining center as the object. Through the analysis of actual spindle air cutting experimental data on Leaderway-V450 machine, it is found that the temperature-sensitive points used for modeling is volatility, and this volatility directly leads to large changes on the collinear degree among modeling independent variables. Thus, the forecasting accuracy of multivariate regression model is severely affected, and the forecasting robustness becomes poor too. To overcome this effect, a modeling method of establishing thermal error models by using single temperature variable under the jamming of temperature-sensitive points＇ volatility is put forward. According to the actual data of thermal error measured in different seasons, it is proved that the single temperature variable model can reduce the loss of fore- casting accuracy resulted from the volatility of tempera- ture-sensitive points, especially for the prediction of cross quarter data, the improvement of forecasting accuracy is about 5 μm or more. The purpose that improving the robustness of the thermal error models is realized, which can provide a reference for selecting the modelingindependent variable in the application of thermal error compensation of CNC machine tools.

Reliability Analysis of Electrical System of CNC Machine Tool Based on Dynamic Fault Tree Analysis Method

The electrical system of CNC machine tool is very complex which involves many uncertain factors and dynamic stochastic characteristics when failure occurs.Therefore,the traditional system reliability analysis method,fault tree analysis(FTA)method,based on static logic and static failure mechanism is no longer applicable for dynamic systems reliability analysis.Dynamic fault tree(DFT)analysis method can solve this problem effectively.In this method,DFT first should be pretreated to get a simplified fault tree(FT);then the FT was modularized to get the independent static subtrees and dynamic subtrees.Binary decision diagram(BDD)analysis method was used to analyze static subtrees,while an approximation algorithm was used to deal with dynamic subtrees.When the scale of each subtree is smaller than the system scale,the analysis efficiency can be improved significantly.At last,the usefulness of this DFT analysis method was proved by applying it to analyzing the reliability of electrical system.

An Open CAM System for Dentistry on the Basis of China-made 5-axis Simultaneous Contouring CNC Machine Tool and Industrial CAM Software

China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool and domestically developed industrial computer-aided manufacture （CAM） technology were used for full crown fabrication and measurement of crown accuracy, with an attempt to establish an open CAM system for dental processing and to promote the introduction of domestic dental computer-aided design （CAD）/CAM system. Commercially available scanning equipment was used to make a basic digital tooth model after preparation of crown, and CAD software that comes with the scanning device was employed to design the crown by using domestic industrial CAM software to process the crown data in order to generate a solid model for machining purpose, and then China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool was used to complete machining of the whole crown and the internal accuracy of the crown internal was measured by using 3D-MicroCT. The results showed that China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool in combination with domestic industrial CAM technology can be used for crown making and the crown was well positioned in die. The internal accuracy was successfully measured by using 3D-MicroCT. It is concluded that an open CAM system for den-tistry on the basis of China-made 5-axis simultaneous contouring CNC machine tool and domestic industrial CAM software has been established, and development of the system will promote the introduction of domestically-produced dental CAD/CAM system.

The Research on Hybrid Intelligent Fault-diagnosisSystem of CNC Machine Tools

After analyzing the structure and characteristics of the hybrid intelligent diagnosis system of CNC machine toolsCNC-HIDS), we describe the intelligent hybrid mechanism of the CNC-HIDS, and present the evaluation and the running instance of the system. Through tryout and validation, we attain satisfactory results.

High Accurate Interpolation of NURBS Tool Path for CNC Machine Tools

Feedrate fluctuation caused by approximation errors of interpolation methods has great effects on machining quality in NURBS interpolation, but few methods can efficiently eliminate or reduce it to a satisfying level without sacrificing the computing efficiency at present. In order to solve this problem, a high accurate interpolation method for NURBS tool path is proposed. The proposed method can efficiently reduce the feedrate fluctuation by forming a quartic equation with respect to the curve parameter increment, which can be efficiently solved by analytic methods in real-time. Theoretically, the proposed method can totally eliminate the feedrate fluctuation for any 2nd degree NURBS curves and can interpolate 3rd degree NURBS curves with minimal feedrate fluctuation. Moreover, a smooth feedrate planning algorithm is also proposed to generate smooth tool motion with considering multiple constraints and scheduling errors by an efficient planning strategy. Experiments are conducted to verify the feasibility and applicability of the proposed method. This research presents a novel NURBS interpolation method with not only high accuracy but also satisfying computing efficiency.

Patterns of CNC Machine Tool Reference Return and Its Trouble Shooting Methods

This paper presents four patterns of reference-return positions for CNC machine tools and analyses some causes of return reference troubles by showing typical examples of trouble shooting.Finally,it introduces several methods of trouble shooting.

A Generic Kinematic Model for Three Main Types of Five-axis Machine Tools

Material removal is one of the most used processes in manufacturing. Five-axis CNC machines are believed to be the best tools in sculptured surface machining. In this study, a generic and unified kinematic model was developed as a viable alternative to the particular solutions that are only applicable to individual machine configurations. This versatile model is then used to verify the feasibility of the two rotational joints within the kinematic chain of three main types of a five-axis machine-tool. This versatile model is very useful applied to the design of five-axis machine tools.

Studies of layout of world machine tools industry based on patent analysis

As the foundation of an industrialized country nowadays,machine tools industry is regarded as the engine of industrial development of a country.The developed countries,such as USA,Germany and Japan,have widely deployed the technology of using the patent in order to keep their strength in various fields.This research examins the CNC machine tools industry in the world by using the patent analysis method.It first gives an overview about the world patent application in CNC machine tools industry from 1963 to 2010 and divides the development of the industry into five stages.It also lists the patent application of the world top 20 countries,where the top 5 countries are compared.The patents of the world top 10 companies of machine tools manufacturers are mapped according to the international patent classification(IPC),and the future trends of world machine tools industry are discussed.Finally conclusions and suggestions are presented.

Real-Time Data and Visualization Monitoring of Computer Numerical Control Machine Tools Based on Hyper Text Markup Language 5

In order to ensure the safety,quality and efficiency of computer numerical control(CNC)machine tool processing,a real-time monitoring and visible solution for CNC machine tools based on hyper text markup language(HTML)5 is proposed.The characteristics of the real-time monitoring technology of CNC machine tools under the traditional Client/Server(C/S)structure are compared and analyzed,and the technical drawbacks are proposed.Web real-time communication technology and browser drawing technology are deeply studied.A real-time monitoring and visible system for CNC machine tool data is developed based on Metro platform,combining WebSocket real-time communication technology and Canvas drawing technology.The system architecture is given,and the functions and implementation methods of the system are described in detail.The practical application results show that the WebSocket real-time communication technology can effectively reduce the bandwidth and network delay and save server resources.The numerical control machine data monitoring system can intuitively reflect the machine data,and the visible effect is good.It realizes timely monitoring of equipment alarms and prompts maintenance and management personnel.

Improved time-optimal B-spline feedrate scheduling for NURBS tool paths in CNC machining

Feedrate scheduling in computer numerical control(CNC)machining is of great importance to fully develop the capabilities of machine tools while maintaining the motion stability of each actuator.Smooth and time-optimal feedrate scheduling plays a critical role in improving the machining efficiency and precision of complex surfaces considering the irregular curvature characteristics of tool paths and the limited drive capacities of machine tools.This study develops a general feedrate scheduling method for non-uniform rational B-splines(NURBS)tool paths in CNC machining aiming at minimizing the total machining time without sacrificing the smoothness of feed motion.The feedrate profile is represented by a B-spline curve to flexibly adapt to the frequent acceleration and deceleration requirements of machining along complex tool paths.The time-optimal B-spline feedrate is produced by continuously increasing the control points sequentially from zero positions in the bidirectional scanning and sampling processes.The required number of knots for the time-optimal B-spline feedrate can be determined using a progressive knot insertion method.To improve the computational efficiency,the B-spline feedrate profile is divided into a series of independent segments and the computation in each segment can be performed concurrently.The proposed feedrate scheduling method is capable of dealing with not only the geometry constraints but also high-order drive constraints for any complex tool path with little computational overhead.Simulations and machining experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness and superiorities of the proposed method.

A TOOL PATH CORRECTION AND COMPRESSION ALGORITHM FOR FIVE-AXIS CNC MACHINING

A novel approach is proposed for correcting command points and compressing discrete axis commands into a C2 continuous curve.The relationship between values of rotation angles and tool posture errors is firstly analyzed.A segmentation method based on values of rotation angles and lengths of adjacent points is then used to subdivide these command points into accuracy regions and smoothness regions.Since tool center points generated by CAD/CAM system are usually lying in the space that is apart from the desired curve within a tolerance distance,and the corresponding tool orientation vector may change a lot while the trajectory length of the tool center point is quite small,directly machining with such points will lead to problems of coarse working shape and long machining time.A correction method for command points is implemented so that good processing effectiveness can be achieved.Also,the quintic spline is used for compressing discrete command points into a C2 continuous smooth curve.The machining experiment is finally conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

TOOL ORIENTATION PLANNING FOR FIVE-AXIS CNC MACHINING OF OPEN FREE-FORM SURFACES

For the geometry characteristics of open free-form surfaces,it is hard to consider global interference during the planning of feasible domains.Therefore,the optimal kinematic orientation of tool axis will no longer be confined to the boundary of feasible domains.In this paper,according to the principle demanding that the tool should be fitted to a surface as close as possible and relevant processing parameters,a feasible domain of tool orientation for each cutter contact is planned in the local feed coordinates system.Then,these feasible domains of the tool orientation are transformed into the same coordinates system of the machine tool by the inverse kinematics transformation.The linear equations based feasible domain method and Rosen gradient projection algorithm are used to improve the optimization process in precision and efficiency of the algorithm.It constructs the variation of tool orientation optimization model and ensures the smoothness of tool orientation globally.Simulation and analysis of examples show that the proposed method has good kinematics performance and greatly improves the efficiency.

Key point selection in large-scale FBG temperature sensors for thermal error modeling of heavy-duty CNC machine tools

Thermal error is one of the main factors that influence the machining accuracy of computer numerical control(CNC)machine tools.It is usually reduced by thermal error compensation.Temperature field monitoring and key temperature measurement point(TMP)selection are the bases of thermal error modeling and compensation for CNC machine tools.Compared with small-and medium-sized CNC machine tools,heavy-duty CNC machine tools require the use of more temperature sensors to measure their temperature comprehensively because of their larger size and more complex heat sources.However,the presence of many TMPs counteracts the movement of CNC machine tools due to sensor cables,and too many temperature variables may adversely influence thermal error modeling.Novel temperature sensors based on fiber Bragg grating(FBG)are developed in this study.A total of 128 FBG temperature sensors that are connected in series through a thin optical fiber are mounted on a heavy-duty CNC machine tool to monitor its temperature field.Key TMPs are selected using these large-scale FBG temperature sensors by using the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm to reduce the calculation workload and avoid problems in the coupling of TMPs for thermal error modeling.Back propagation neural network thermal error prediction models are established to verify the performance of the proposed TMP selection method.Results show that the number of TMPs is reduced from 128 to 5,and the developed model demonstrates good prediction effects and strong robustness under different working conditions of the heavy-duty CNC machine tool.

A-B 7300 CNC Machine Tool Rebuilding

This paper describes A-B 7300 CNC machine tool rebuilding, mainly in PAL and AMP utilization of C-type software. It includes PAL program locating and analyzing, AMP capturing etc. After setting PAL and AMP, the greater part of the electrical rebuilding has been accomplished.

Evaluation of Eco-efficiency and Effect on Environment of Remanufacturing A Case Study of CNC-remanufacturing for Used Machining Tools

A case of remanufacturing used lathes via CNC technology is introduced, whose environmental and economic benefits are evaluated respectively. The results indicate that these environmental and economic benefits are remarkable, which are directly affected by remanufacturing design, more than 90% materials in used lathes are reused. Finally, the causes of economic and environmental benefits of remanufacturing machine tools are put forward. The remanufacturing design method, implementation procedure, and evaluation method of economic and environmental benefits presented are helpful for other equipment remanufacturing.