Kinematic nonlinearity analysis in hexapod machine tools: Symmetry and regional accuracy of workspace

The kinematic nonlinearity of hexapod machine tools is the source of an error which requires special consideration during toolpath planning and command generation. Analytical formulation for such an error is presented in this paper. The presented formulation can also be employed in optimal toolpath planning and workpiece setup. The effects of toolpath parameters such as the length, orientation, and the location of the toolpath together with the upper platform travel speed are considered in this investigation. Toolpaths are categorized based on their orientation into vertical toolpaths, horizontal-horizontal toolpaths, horizontal-vertical toolpaths, horizontal-inclined toolpaths, and inclined toolpaths. Variation of the kinematic nonlinearity error and the regional accuracy of the machine's workspace are presented in this paper. Workspace symmetry is studied and it is shown that one-sixth of the machine's workspace can represent the whole workspace. Eventually, the presented formulation and the effect of parameters are experimentally verified. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.