Compensation of Thermally Induced Errors in Five-Axis Computer Numerical Control Machining Centers Equipped With Different Spindles

Abstract

Thermally induced errors are the dominant source of inaccuracy in machine tools today and are often the most difficult type of error to reduce. Software compensation of thermally induced displacements at the tool center point (TCP) is a widely employed error reduction technique due to its cost-effectiveness and ease of implementation. Transfer function (TF)-based compensation methods lead to promising results, as has been shown in previous studies. Furthermore, machine tool manufacturers frequently offer the same type of machine tool equipped with different spindle units. This leads to different thermal deformation behavior depending on the specific spindle unit mounted in the machine tool. To demonstrate this difference, experimental research is carried out on three five-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machining centers of the same type equipped with three different spindle units. The experimentally obtained thermal errors at the TCP of three machine tools with different mounted spindle units are compared, showing a significant variation in thermal errors in the Z-direction depending on the spindle unit. The research presented in this paper shows a dynamic approach to thermal error compensation of five-axis CNC machining centers considering different spindle units. System identification theory is applied to build dynamic thermal error models for three different spindle units based on calibration experiments. Subsequently, the evaluation of model performance through spindle spectrum tests shows that a reduction in thermal error of up to 85% was achieved in the Z-direction after compensation.