Machining accuracy reliability analysis of multi-axis machine tool based on Monte Carlo simulation

Although machine tool can meet the specifications while it is new, after a long period of cutting operations, the abrasion of contact surfaces and deformation of structures will degrade the accuracy of machine tool due to the increase of the geometric errors in six freedoms. Therefore, how to maintain its accuracy for quality control of products is of crucial importance to machine tool. In this paper, machining accuracy reliability is defined as the ability to perform its specified machining accuracy under the stated conditions for a given period of time, and a new method to analyze the sensitivity of geometric errors to the machining accuracy reliability is proposed. By applying Multi-body system theory, a comprehensive volumetric model explains how individual geometric errors affect the machining accuracy (the coupling relationship) was established. Based on Monte Carlo mathematic simulation method, the models of the machining accuracy reliability and sensitivity analysis of machine tools were developed. By taking the machining accuracy reliability as a measure of the ability of machine tool and reliability sensitivity as a reference of optimizing the basic parameters of machine tools, an illustrative example of a three-axis machine tool was selected to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.