Machine tool calibration: Geometric test uncertainty depends on machine tool performance

In order to show a sufficient geometric performance, every machine tool has to be calibrated geometrically before it may come into operation. The geometric machine errors have to be identified. They can afterwards be compensated either mechanically or numerically in the machine control. Machine tools are usually calibrated geometrically by performing a sequence of different measurements to identify single errors such as squareness errors between linear axes, straightness errors, positioning errors etc. The uncertainty of such measurements is of course affected by the uncertainty of the measuring device under the given environmental conditions. Methods to describe such influences are widely known and applied. Other effects having an impact on the error parameters to be determined (e.g. squareness errors) are dependent on the performance of the machine tool under test. Neglected geometric errors, hysteresis and thermal drift affect the measurement result. Such effects may be much more important contributors to the overall test uncertainty than the measurement uncertainty of the measuring device. In this paper the problem of error interdependencies leading to a worse test uncertainty is explained. The occurrence of such effects is shown with exemplary measuring results. A method for estimating the overall test uncertainty even for complex measurements is introduced. The dependence of the test uncertainty on the geometric machine performance is explained. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.