An Optimal Method for Improving Volumetric Error Compensation in Machine Tools Based on Squareness Error Identification

This paper proposes a new method to identify the squareness errors of machine tools and gives an optimal method to improve the volumetric compensation accuracy based on the identified squareness errors. The volumetric error model based on screw theory is proposed and the effects of the squareness errors on the volumetric errors have been analyzed to clarify the possibility of improving volumetric error compensation by proper and accurate squareness errors. Then the identification method of the squareness errors is deduced in theory considering a 3-axis horizontal machine tool. With the identified squareness errors, an optimal method to improve volumetric error compensation in machine tools has been proposed. Experiments have verified that the 3 identified squareness errors are in accordance with the measured squareness errors within the accuracy range. Moreover, compared with the traditional measurement of squareness errors not considering the PDGEs, the proposed method is more effective and shows error compensation improvement in the volumetric error compensation process.