Development of an in-situ machine tool axis positioning accuracy measurement device

A variety of different measurement methods exist that are conventionally used in the estimation of machine tool accuracy. Two of the commonly used measurement systems are the laser interferometer and the telescopic ballbar. However, measurement of machine tool accuracy in a production environment needs to be executed efficiently and quickly in order to accommodate the pressures of the manufacturing line. The development of an accurate and efficient system is essential in order to ensure effective accuracy measurement with minimum set up time and operator intervention or expertise. In addition, such a system should be capable of being integrated into the machine tool so as to be automatically invoked by the controller. This paper presents a comparative study of a few measurement systems with the aim of arriving at the most suitable concept for integration into a flexible manufacturing environment.