Fast detection of geometric errors for three-axis machine tools with combined double-ball bars based on spatial circle detection

Abstract

Abstract The geometric accuracy of the CNC machine tools determines the quality of the sculptured mechanical parts. Measuring and compensating the geometric errors of machine tools can effectively improve the machining accuracy. However, traditional measurement methods using a double-ball bar (DBB) can only detect the error along the rod length direction and thus require multiple measurements in three orthogonal planes of the machine tool. This work proposes a fast error detection method for the three-axis machine tools using combined double-ball bars (C-DBBs) based on the spatially circular detection (SCD) path. The test path of this method requires the simultaneous linkage of three linear axes of the machine tools and thus could identify 21 geometric errors of three-axis machine tool. Firstly, the measuring principle of the SCD method is introduced, and the mathematical model for detecting 21 geometric errors of the machine tool based on the SCD method is established. Then, the detection experiment based on the SCD method is carried out, and it is shown that 21 geometric errors of the three-axis machine tool are obtained. Finally, the verification experiment using a traditional DBB is conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed SCD method. The radial errors in three orthogonal planes measured by traditional DBB exhibit a good agreement with those predicted using 21 geometric errors obtained by the SCD method. Compared with the traditional DBB method, the proposed SCD method could detect 21 geometric errors of three-axis machine tools in a single measurement. This work provides an effective and efficient methodology for detecting all geometric errors of the three-axis machine tool.