Modeling and compensation of enhanced volumetric error of machine tools containing crosstalk errors

The error compensation method is an economical and effective method to improve the machining accuracy of machine tools. Conventional volumetric error modeling of machine tools is based on the rigid body kinematics model using 21 terms of geometric errors and assumes the geometric error of one axis is independent of other axes. However, if the error motion does not satisfy this assumption in serial machine tools, it may significantly influence the overall machine tool accuracy. This paper reveals the existence of mutual crosstalk of angular errors in coupling axes by experiments with equipping the five-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) embedded sensor module in each axis. A new on-machine measurement method is proposed for detecting crosstalk errors of the coupling axes covering the whole coupling area. It is confirmed that the position-dependent geometric errors (PDGEs) of each axis should be modified by two-dimensional dependence. Therefore, extended from the normal volumetric error model (NVEM) that is commonly used nowadays, a novel enhanced volumetric error model (EVEM) that contains crosstalk's PDGEs is proposed. The real -time error compensation controller (RECC) embedded in CNC system kernel has been developed in collaboration with the vender by writing in the application function. The effectiveness and feasibility of the EVEM and RECC are verified by non-cutting and cutting experiments. Through comparison tests with laser interferometer on body diagonals, the accuracy improving rate of EVEM is about 10 % higher than NVEM. The real-cutting tests on the ISO10791 sample are verified by a CMM and the results show the accuracy improvement of EVEM is better than NVEM by about 20 %.