A method for evaluating spindle rotation errors of machine tools using a laser interferometer

This paper presents a method for assessing radial and axial error motions of spindles. It uses the Hewlett Packard 5529A laser interferometer. The measurement is made using reflection directly from a high-precision sphere. Such object is used as the optical reflector. The sphere is affixed at the end of a wobble device, which is clamped in the spindle. The principle of measurement is similar to that of a linear interferometer, except that the high-precision sphere is used in place of the usual retroreflector. A convergent lens is utilized to focus the laser beam to a small spot on the sphere surface. This minimizes the dispersion of the beam due to the reflection on the spherical surface. A software package has been developed for data acquisition and presentation of the error motion polar plots of the spindle. Application of this spindle error calibrator on a CNC machining centre is undertaken. The results are presented and discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.