For measuring machines and machine tools, geometrical accuracy is a key performance criterion. While numerical compensation is well established for CMMs, it is increasingly used on machine tools in addition to mechanical accuracy. This paper is an update on the CIRP keynote paper by Sartori and Zhang from 1995 [Sartori S, Zhang GX (1995) Geometric error measurement and compensation of machines, Annals of the CIRP 44(2):599–609]. Since then, numerical error compensation has gained immense importance for precision machining. This paper reviews the fundamentals of numerical error compensation and the available methods for measuring the geometrical errors of a machine. It discusses the uncertainties involved in different mapping methods and their application characteristics. Furthermore, the challenges for the use of numerical compensation for manufacturing machines are specified. Based on technology and market development, this work aims at giving a perspective for the role of numerical compensation in the future.

Geometric error measurement and compensation of machines : an update

Traditional touch trigger probes are widely used on most commercial coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). However, the CMMs with these probes have a systematic error due to the shape of the probe tip and elastic deformation of the stylus resulting from contact pressure with the specimen. In this paper, a new touch probe with a three degrees-of-freedom force sensor is proposed. From relationships between an obtained contact force vector and the geometric shape of the probe, it is possible to calculate the coordinates of the exact probe–specimen contact points. An empirical model of the probe is applied to calculate the coordinates of the contact points and the amount of pretravel. With the proposed probing system, the measuring error induced by the indeterminateness of the probe–specimen contact point and the pretravel can be estimated and compensated for successfully.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0957-0233/17/9/002/pdf

Development of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) touch probe using a multi-axis force sensor

In this paper, a new type of self-centering probe is presented to verify the performance of machine-tools in an efficient and rapid way using ball artifacts. A self-centering probe is placed in the spindle of the machine-tool and a ball artifact on the work table. The probe is moved to the calibrated center positions of the balls of the reference artifact. The probe touches these balls and, in a single measurement, it provides the X , Y , Z offset of the actual machine position from the desired (programmed) position. A non-conventional probe design has been chosen: three independently movable probe styli form a miniature coordinate measuring machine with parallel kinematics. The development process of two variants of such a self-centering probe is presented in this paper. The results obtained in laboratory tests show a repeatability of less than 0.5 μm and an error range of less than 2 μm throughout the large measurement range (2 mm × 2 mm × 2 mm) of the probe.

Self-centering probes with parallel kinematics to verify machine-tools

A review on methods for probe performance verification

Systematic errors due to the pre-travel variation and the probe tip shape are irreducible to the traditional touch trigger probing systems. This paper describes the development of a probing system based on five-dimensional force/torque transducer for coordinate measuring machines. The compensation for pre-travel variation is accomplished through the five-dimensional force/torque information acquired by the integrated transducer and the stiffness matrix of the stylus. From the relationship between the obtained force/torque information and the geometrical shape equation, coordinates of the exact contact point immune from the contact error are acquired. After calibration, the combined measurement uncertainty is estimated to be less than +/[email protected]

W. Lotze

Papers

Multidimensional measuring probe head improves accuracy and functionality of coordinate measuring machines