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%.

METHOD FOR SUPPRESSING CUTTING CHATTER IN NUMERICAL CONTROL MACHINE TOOLS

A new method for suppressing cutting chatter is studied by adjusting servo parameters of the numerical control （NC） machine tool and controlling the limited cutting width. A model of the cutting system of the NC machine tool is established. It includes the mechanical system, the servo system and the cutting chatter system. Interactions between every two systems are shown in the model. The cutting system stability is simulated and relation curves between the limited cutting width and servo system parameters are described in the experiment. Simulation and experimental results show that there is a mapping relation between the limited cutting width and servo parameters of the NC machine tool, and the method is applicable and credible to suppress chatter.

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.

An Investigation into the Life Cycle Cost of a Typical Computer Numerical Control Machine

This paper relates to a typical computer numerical control (CNC) machine, model FDXNC 128, and analyzes the payoff period quantitatively and forecasts the future maintenance cost and the evaluation of the economic benefit by using Life Cycle Cost (LCC) method and grey theory. The discussion shows conclusions that are beneficial to the production, management, and decision making of the enterprise.

Bayesian networks modeling for thermal error of numerical control machine tools

The interaction between the heat source location, its intensity, thermal expansion coefficient, the machine system configuration and the running environment creates complex thermal behavior of a machine tool, and also makes thermal error prediction difficult. To address this issue, a novel prediction method for machine tool thermal error based on Bayesian networks (BNs) was presented. The method described causal relationships of factors inducing thermal deformation by graph theory and estimated the thermal error by Bayesian statistical techniques. Due to the effective combination of domain knowledge and sampled data, the BN method could adapt to the change of running state of machine, and obtain satisfactory prediction accuracy. Ex- periments on spindle thermal deformation were conducted to evaluate the modeling performance. Experimental results indicate that the BN method performs far better than the least squares (LS) analysis in terms of modeling estimation accuracy.

Bayesian zero-failure reliability modeling and assessment method for multiple numerical control(NC) machine tools

A new problem that classical statistical methods are incapable of solving is reliability modeling and assessment when multiple numerical control machine tools(NCMTs) reveal zero failures after a reliability test. Thus, the zero-failure data form and corresponding Bayesian model are developed to solve the zero-failure problem of NCMTs, for which no previous suitable statistical model has been developed. An expert-judgment process that incorporates prior information is presented to solve the difficulty in obtaining reliable prior distributions of Weibull parameters. The equations for the posterior distribution of the parameter vector and the Markov chain Monte Carlo(MCMC) algorithm are derived to solve the difficulty of calculating high-dimensional integration and to obtain parameter estimators. The proposed method is applied to a real case; a corresponding programming code and trick are developed to implement an MCMC simulation in Win BUGS, and a mean time between failures(MTBF) of 1057.9 h is obtained. Given its ability to combine expert judgment, prior information, and data, the proposed reliability modeling and assessment method under the zero failure of NCMTs is validated.

Research on Remote Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis Technology of Numerical Control Machine

Based on the internet technology,it has become possible to complete remote monitoring and fault diagnosis for the numerical control machine.In order to capture the micro-shock signal induced by the incipient fault on the rotating parts,the reso- nance demodulation technology is utilized in the system.As a subsystem of the remote monitoring system,the embedded data acquisi- tion instrument not only integrates the demodulation board but also complete the collection and preprocess of monitoring data from different machines.Furthermore,through connecting to the internet,the data can be transferred to the remote diagnosis center and data reading and writing function can be finished in the database.At the same time,the problem of the IP address floating in the dial-up of web server is solved by the dynamic DNS technology.Finally,the remote diagnosis software developed on the Lab VIEW platform can analyze the monitoring data from manufacturing field.The research results have indicated that the equipment status can be monitored by the system effectively.

Carbon Emission Modeling and Analysis in Manufacturing Process for Numerical Control Machine Tools

Reducing carbon emissions( CEs) is the urgent demand all over the world. In order to realize the low-carbon numerical control( NC) machining, the evaluation model of a part's manufacturing carbon emission with NC machine tools was built by considering the influences of the cutting tool geometrical parameters.The manufacturing CEs were produced by electric power,cutting tools,and cutting fluid consumed in manufacturing process. The parameters of cutting tools affected not only the CEs,but also the machining quality. Then the actual constraint models of the machine performance,machining quality were given in order to optimize the cutting parameters and achieve the low-CEs. Finally,a case was given to analyze the influences of the cutting tool angles on the manufacturing CEs. The results show that the CEs decrease as the rake angle and edge angle increase under the constraints of the machine specifications and machining quality.

Specialized Numerical Control Plasma Cutting Machine

The large thermal cutting equipment——The DHG. CNC numerical control plasma cutting machine is produced by The Ha’erbin Welding & Cutting Equipment Co. It specializes in the precise formation and baiting of nonferrous boards and thin carbon steel plates at a high speed. It avoids the disadvantage of flame cutting, which cannot cut nonferrous and thin steel plates.

Discussion on Reverse Design of Components with Complex Curved Surface and Computer Numerical Control Machining

With the continuous development and advancement of science and technology,the work of tool path planning has received extensive attention.Among them,curved surface generation and data processing are the focus of management and design,which necessitate the full application of reverse design of complex curved surface components to complete numerical control processing,effective optimization and upgrading,integration the tasks of point cloud data collection,and point cloud data processing to ensure that the corresponding computer numerical control machining model can exert its actual value.This paper briefly analyzes the basic principles of curved surface reconstruction as well as discusses the reverse design of complex curved components and the experimental processes and results that involved computer numerical control machining,which serves the purpose as reference only.

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.

The Innovation of CNC Machine Interface Based on DNC System

This paper describes the innovation schemes of the interface of a CNC machine which cannot communicate with a computer by a Direct Numerical Control(DNC)interface and the functions of a DNC interface system.One architecture of hardware and software of a practi- cal single-chip computer based on DNC interface system developed by the authors is given. Without any change of the original hardware and software,this DNC interface system has been used to innovate the CNC machine's interface to implement the direct communication between a computer and a CNC machine and to achieve no tape transmission of a part program and ma- chine parameters.It has been demonstrated that this DNC interface system has certain practical values in improving the reliability,efficiency and production management of CNC/NC machine.

Method of triangular mesh modeling in numerical control machining simulation

In the process of numerical control machining simulation,the workpiece surface is usually described with the uniform triangular mesh model.To alleviate the contradiction between the simulation speed and accuracy in this model,two improved methods,i.e.,the local refinement triangular mesh modeling method and the adaptive triangular mesh modeling method were presented.The simulation results show that when the final shape of the workpiece is known and its mathematic representation is simple,the local refinement triangular mesh modeling method is preferred;when the final shape of the workpiece is unknown and its mathematic description is complicated,the adaptive triangular mesh modeling method is more suitable.The experimental results show that both methods are more targeted and practical and can meet the requirements of real-time and precision in simulation.

Heat regulating strategy in numerical control end milling for hard metal machining

The trend in die/mold manufacturing at present is towards the hard machining at high speed to replace the electron dis- charge machining. Failure forms of the AlTiN-coated micro-grain carbide endmill when used for the machining of JIS SKD61 (HRC 53), a widely used material in die/mold manufacturing, are investigated. The endmill shows a characteristic that tool life decreases greatly due to the chipping when overload occurs or the rapid increase of wear when over-heat accumulation in cutting edges. As a consequence of the investigation, a strategy to regulate heat generation in the end milling process is proposed. This is accomplished by controlling the cutting arc length, i.e. the length of each flute engaging workpiece in a cutting cycle. Case studies on the slot end milling and comer rounding are conducted. The results show that the proposed strategy suggests the optimal tool path as well as the optimal pitch between successive tool paths under the cutting time criterion.

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.

Prototype CNC Machine Design

The CNC （computer numerical control） is a technology which aims to generate, parse and execute sequential actions that describe the behavior of the end effector. This article reports the development of small sized, low cost, prototype CNC system, based on a modular system with the capability of communication through USB. The report includes the basics of the electronic devices developed to run a CNC machine and proposes, as well, software developed in LabVIEW to control and establish the communication between the machine and the computer. The main objective of this work is the development of a machine which allows future researches on the process performance, on educational purposes, the demonstration of the parts involved on the CNC machine.

Toward Intelligent Machine Tool

With the development of modern information technology-and particularly of the new generation of artificial intelligence(AI)technology-new opportunities are available for the development of the intelligent machine tool(IMT).Based on the three classical paradigms of intelligent manufacturing as defined by the Chinese Academy of Engineering,the concept,characteristics,and systemic structure of the IMT are presented in this paper.Three stages of machine tool evolution-from the manually operated machine tool(MOMT)to the IMT-are discussed,including the numerical control machine tool(NCMT),the smart machine tool(SMT),and the IMT.Furthermore,the four intelligent control principles of the IMT-namely,autonomous sensing and connection,autonomous learning and modeling,autonomous optimization and decision-making,and autonomous control and execution-are presented in detail.This paper then points out that the essential characteristic of the IMT is to acquire and accumulate knowledge through learning,and presents original key enabling technologies,including the instruction-domain-based analytical approach,theoretical and big-data-based hybrid modeling technology,and the double-code control method.Based on this research,an intelligent numerical control(INC)system and industrial prototypes of IMTs are developed.Three intelligent practices are conducted,demonstrating that the integration of the new generation of AI technology with advanced manufacturing technology is a feasible and convenient way to advance machine tools toward the IMT.

Development of practical postprocessor for 5-axis machine tool with non-orthogonal rotary axes

In order to develop a practical postprocessor for 5-axis machine tool,the general equations of numerically controlled(NC) data for 5-axis configurations with non-orthogonal rotary axes were exactly expressed by the inverse kinematics,and a windows-based postprocessor written with Visual Basic was developed according to the proposed algorithm.The developed postprocessor is a general system suitable for all kinds of 5-axis machines with orthogonal and non-orthogonal rotary axes.Through implementation of the developed postprocessor and verification by a cutting simulation and machining experiment,the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is confirmed.Compatibility is improved by allowing exchange of data formats such as rotational total center position(RTCP) controlled NC data,vector post NC data,and program object file(POF) cutter location(CL) data,and convenience is increased by adding the function of work-piece origin offset.Consequently,a practical post-processor for 5-axis machining is developed.

Theoretical analysis and verification of uncertainty of measurement on a cantilever coordinate measuring machine

A cantilever coordinate measuring machine(CCMM)is proposed according to the in-situ measurement requirement of workpieces with complex structures limited by the finite space of the5-axes computerized numerical control(CNC)processing site.Factors affecting uncertainty of measurement(UM)are classified and analyzed on the basis of uncertainty evaluation criteria,and the estimation technique of UM for measuring systems is presented.UM of the CCMM is estimated from the factors such as temperature,error motions as well as the mechanism deformations.Measurement results show that the actual measurement error is smaller than that of measurement requirement.

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.