System and process for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables

A process system for testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks for testing numerically controlled machine tool said process performing the check of the dynamic behavior of the axes controlled by the heads and/or the movements of these axes combined with the movements of the linear axis, the analysis of the response curve of the axes compared with the programmed one allowing to analyze problems like twitching and ripple, said process operating at the presence of a pass-band of at least 1 kHz of the signal sampled by the system.

A process for compensating numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks, said process being divided into a part that performs the compensation of head movements using a geometric model and a part that performs the compensation of non-geometric errors or errors that cannot be modeled.

A process using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks, for measuring a position of a center of a ball connected to axes of a machine tool, using a cylinder with a ball connected to the machine tool and three distance sensors in contact with the ball, said process comprising the steps of:
• defining a fixed position (1) of the ball in the inertial system XYZ (“centered ball position”);
• moving the machine/head to the position (1);
• driving again the ball in its centered ball position;
• recording a position (2) of the machine axes XYZ (X1, Y1, Z1);
• moving the machine/head to position (2);
• driving again the ball in its centered ball position;
• and
• recording a position of the machine axes XYZ (X2, Y2, Z2);
• and
• wherein the differences X1−X2, Y1−Y2, Z1−Z2 are the errors made by the CNC system in carrying out its movements from position (1) to position (2).

A process using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks, for determining errors indexes regarding rectilineity, scale and orthogonality for linear axes XYZ of a machine tool starting from measures performed with a single test cylinder with ball end, said process being able to measure a same error in different positions/shapes of a measuring head, said process distinguishing which are the errors that can be associated with movements of rotating head axes with respect to movements performed by linear axes, said linear axes being also moved, following the movements of the rotating axes, in order to keep a tip of a possible tool unmoving.

A process using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks, for measuring a position of a center of a ball connected to axes of a machine tool, using a cylinder with a ball connected to the machine tool and three distance sensors in contact with the ball, said process comprising the steps of:
• defining a fixed position (1) of the ball in the inertial system XYZ (“centered ball position”);
• moving the machine/head to the position (1);
• driving again the ball in its centered ball position;
• recording a position (2) of the machine axes XYZ (X1, Y1, Z1);
• moving the machine/head to position (2);
• driving again the ball in its centered ball position;
• and
• recording a position of the machine axes XYZ (X2, Y2, Z2);
• and
• wherein the differences X1−X2, Y1−Y2, Z1−Z2 are the errors made by the CNC system in carrying out its movements from position (1) to position (2).

A process using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks, for determining errors indexes regarding rectilineity, scale and orthogonality for linear axes XYZ of a machine tool starting from measures performed with a single rest cylinder with ball end, said process being able to measure a same error in different positions/shapes of a measuring head, said process distinguishing which are the errors that can be associated with movements of rotating head axes with respect to movements performed by linear axes, said linear axes being also moved following the movements of the rotating axes, in order to keep a tip of a possible tool unmoving.

A process for measuring numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks said process comprising the steps of:
• performing a plurality of automatic measures adapted to determine the parameters of a geometric model of the head, said geometric model being the mathematical model that describes the real head behavior with respect to the theoretical behavior, the parameters of said model being obtained through the measures and being called errors that can be modeled, said geometric model being of a complexity that can be freely defined by a user due to an integration of said system with numeric control means (CNC), to a measuring accuracy provided by an absence of collisions among moving parts and to a quick acquisition of error measures;
• computing the detected errors that can be modeled;
• compensating the computed errors that can be modeled through said numeric control means (CNC) for working purposes through an integrated system;
• and
• detecting and measuring errors not described by the model being used, said errors being called errors not able to be modeled and generating a still incorrect positioning of the head.

A system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and
• at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• and
• wherein said support base is connected to bearing means adapted to allow a rotation of said support base up to 90° with respect to its own axis, in order to reach a plurality of operating positions between two mutually perpendicular extreme axes, said bearing means being further adapted to simultaneously allow a rotation of said support base, once having reached the extreme axis position, around the axis perpendicular thereto.

A process for measuring numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein said support base is connected to bearing means adapted to allow a rotation of said support base up to 90° with respect to its own axis, in order to reach a plurality of operating positions between two mutually perpendicular extreme axes, said bearing means being further adapted to simultaneously allow a rotation of said support base, once having reached the extreme axis position, around the axis perpendicular thereto said process comprising the steps of:
• performing a plurality of automatic measures adapted to determine the parameters of a geometric model of the head, said geometric model being the mathematical model that describes the real head behavior with respect to the theoretical behavior, the parameters of said model being obtained through the measures and being called errors that can be modeled, said geometric model being of a complexity that can be freely defined by a user due to an integration of said system with numeric control means (CNC), to a measuring accuracy provided by the system to an absence of collisions among moving parts and a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:
• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks, and to a quick acquisition of error measures;
• computing the detected errors that can be modeled;
• compensating the computed errors that can be modeled through said numeric control means (CNC) for working purposes through an integrated system;
• and
• detecting and measuring errors not described by the model being used, said errors being called errors not able to be modeled and generating a still incorrect positioning of the head.

A process for resting numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables using a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:

• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein said support base is connected to bearing means adapted to allow a rotation of said support base up to 90° with respect to its own axis, in order to reach a plurality of operating positions between two mutually perpendicular extreme axes, said bearing means being further adapted to simultaneously allow a rotation of said support base, once having reached the extreme axis position, around the axis perpendicular thereto said process performing the check of the dynamic behavior of the axes controlled by the heads and/or the movements of these axes combined with the movements of the linear axis, the analysis of the response curve of the axes compared with the programmed one allowing to analyze problems like twitching and ripple, said process operating at the presence of a pass-band of at least 1 kHz of the signal sampled by a system for measuring, compensating and testing numerically controlled machine tool heads and/or tables, characterized in that it comprises:
• at least one support base equipped with a plurality of distance sensors;
• and at least one device of the gage tool type composed of an elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped at one of its ends with connection means for said heads and being equipped at another opposite end with a ball, said ball being placed next to said sensors so that they are able, always and in any position, to measure a distance that separates them from said ball;
• wherein the system is operatively coupled with processing means, said processing means being adapted through a single measure obtained by said sensors about a distance that separates said sensors from said ball, to detect the XYZ coordinates of a center of a tool in a position of interest;
• and wherein said processing means comprise means for performing measure processes for errors that can be modeled, means for performing measure processes for errors that cannot be modeled and means for performing dynamic checks.