Dynamics of ultra-high-speed (UHS) spindles used for micromachining

Micromachining dynamics commonly dictate the attainable accuracy and throughput that can be obtained from micromachining operations. The dynamic behavior of miniature ultra-high-speed (UHS) spindles used in micromachining critically affects micromachining dynamics. As such, there is a strong need for effective techniques to characterize the dynamic behavior of miniature UHS spindles. This paper presents a systematic experimental approach to obtain the speed-dependent two-dimensional dynamics of miniature UHS spindles through experimental modal analysis. A miniature cylindrical artifact with 5 mm overhang is attached to (and rotating with) the spindle to enable providing the dynamic excitations to and measuring the resulting motions of the spindle. A custom-made impact excitation system is used to reproducibly excite the spindle dynamics up to 20 kHz while controlling the impact force. The resulting radial motions of the spindle are measured in two mutually perpendicular directions using two independent fiber-optic laser Doppler vibrometers (LDVs). To ensure the mutual orthogonality of the measurements, the two lasers are aligned precisely using an optical procedure. A frequency-domain filtering approach is used to remove the unwanted spindle motion data from the measurements, thereby isolating the dynamic response. The spindle dynamics is then represented in the form of frequency response functions (FRFs). A global curve-fitting technique is applied to identify natural frequencies and damping ratios. The developed approach is demonstrated on a miniature UHS spindle with aerodynamic bearings, and dynamic characteristics are analyzed at different spindle speeds and collet pressures. The spindle speed is shown to have a significant effect on dynamic response, especially at higher spindle speeds, while the collet pressure is observed not to have any significant effect on the spindle dynamics. It is concluded that the presented approach can be used to characterize the dynamics of miniature UHS spindles effectively.     

Analysis of error motions of ultra-high-speed (UHS) micromachining spindles

This paper presents an experimental approach to analyze radial and axial error motions of miniature ultra-high-speed (UHS) spindles. The present work focuses on identifying the sources of error motions and quantifying them, specifically for the UHS spindles with hybrid ceramic bearings. Since effective application of micromachining processes, which commonly utilize miniature UHS spindles, require a high level of dimensional accuracy, form accuracy, and surface finish, the (unwanted) motions of the UHS spindles (and the associated tool-tip runout) must be well-understood. In this work, a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV)-based measurement technique is used to measure radial and axial motions of the spindle from a sphere-on-stem precision artifact. The influence of temperature fluctuations, dynamically-induced effects, contact-bearing defects, and tool-attachment errors are analyzed. The spindle speeds are varied from 40 krpm to 160 krpm, and the over-hang lengths of 15 mm and 7.5 mm are considered. The variations arising from tool attachment to the collet are also studied. It is seen that (1) the thermal state of the spindle exhibits a cyclic behavior that results in significant changes to the spindle motions, (2) spindle speed and over-hang length significantly affect the spindle motions, and (3) the variations arising from the tool attachment to the collet can be described using a normal distribution, and may cause more than ±50% amplitude variations to the spindle motions.     

A new method to quantify radial error of a motorized end-milling cutter/spindle system at very high speed rotations

The radial error motion of a machine tool cutter/spindle system is critical to the dimensional accuracy of the parts to be machined. The spindle's radial error motions can be measured by mounting a sphere target onto the spindle as a reference. A set of sensors is used to measure displacements of the reference sphere in various directions to determine spindle error motions. This measurement technique can be reliably carried out when the spindle is at rest or at low rotational speeds. However, at very high speeds, the reference sphere must be carefully centered and balanced to avoid introducing additional error motions. In addition, the sensors must be held with very rigid mounts in order to avoid measurement errors caused by vibrations. For high-speed end milling spindles, the spindle is operated with a cutter. The cutter must be removed when mounting a reference sphere. Because the cutter itself can introduce errors due to centering and unbalancing effects, the error motions measured by the reference sphere method do not include the error caused by the cutter. This paper introduces a new and practical method to provide an indicator of the radial error of a motorized end-milling cutter/spindle system at very high speed rotations without the need of a reference sphere. This indicator of the radial error is based on the size of the cutting marks produced by the end mill, which is attached to the spindle. The cutting marks are circular, and their diameters are related to the radial error of the cutter/spindle system. Quantitative precision analysis was carried out to confirm the accuracy and repeatability of this new measurement technique. This technique has been implemented in order to determine the effects of the spindle speed, the level of unbalanced mass, and the spindle stiffness on the cutter/spindle's radial error. The results reveal that the centrifugal force generated by the unbalanced mass is the main factor causing the increase in radial error. One way to compensate for the effect of unbalanced mass is to increase the spindle stiffness. Experimental results confirm that a higher front bearing preload can render the spindle stiffer, thus reducing the radial error of the cutter/spindle system. Finally, it should be pointed out that the proposed cutting mark measurement cannot replace the sphere method because it cannot provide time-resolved or angle-resolved information as those obtained from polar charts. However, the proposed cutting mark measurement can provide the characterization of the spindle with the cutter attached. As a result, both methods can complement each other to provide a more complete picture of the behavior of the cutter/spindle system at high speeds.     

Development of a multi-step measuring method for motion accuracy of NC machine tools based on cross grid encoder

Machining accuracy is directly influenced by the quasi-static errors of a machine tool. Since machine errors have a direct effect on both the surface finish and geometric shape of the finished work piece, it is imperative to measure the machine errors and to compensate for them. A revised geometric synthetic error modeling, measurement and identification method of 3-axis machine tool by using a cross grid encoder is proposed in this paper. Firstly a revised synthetic error model of 21 geometric error components of the 3-axis NC machine tools is developed. Also the mapping relationship between the error component and radial motion error of round work piece manufactured on the NC machine tools are deduced. Aiming to overcome the solution singularity shortcoming of traditional error component identification method, a new multi-step identification method of error component by using the cross grid encoder measurement technology is proposed based on the kinematic error model of NC machine tool. Finally the experimental validation of the above modeling and identification method is carried out in the 3-axis CNC vertical machining center Cincinnati 750 Arrow. The entire 21 error components have been successfully measured by the above method. The whole measuring time of 21 error components is cut down to 1–2 h because of easy installation, adjustment, operation and the characteristics of non-contact measurement. It usually takes days of machine down time and needs an experienced operator when using other measuring methods. Result shows that the modeling and the multi-step identification methods are very suitable for ‘on machine’ measurement.     

A shape memory alloy based tool clamping device

The traditional collet-chuck mechanism for tool clamping is a significant source of errors in spindles due to stack-up tolerances. This, in turn, adversely affects the tool's error motions particularly in demanding micro-cutting operations performed with ultra-high-speed miniaturized spindles. Hence, novel thought for miniature tool clamping is needed to minimize tool run-out and error motions in order to meet the necessary cutting speeds and accuracy requirements. In this paper a couple of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) based solutions for the clamping of miniature tools will be explored. For clamp actuation the so-called Two-Way Shape Memory Effect (TWSME) property of NiTi SMAs will be exploited. The basic principles, design requirements, analysis and physical realization of these devices will be discussed. It will be shown through experimental verification tests that clamping forces in excess of tens of Newtons are possible, confirming thus the feasibility of the proposed solutions.     

A New Method for Evaluating Error Motion of Ultra Precision Spindle

Conventional measuring methods for evaluating error motion of spindle rotation are inadequate to meet the current needs of ultra precision spindle bearing systems.In this paper, therefore, a new measuring method for spindle rotational accuracy based on a three points method was proposed. This method made it possible to reduce considerably the time and effort required in measuring the spindle rotational accuracy. Measurement of error motion to the nano-meter order was attained. Furthermore, this method was proved to be an effective method for measuring the out-of-roundness of a testpiece.     

Fabrication of free-form surfaces using a long-stroke fast tool servo and corrective figuring with on-machine measurement

Fabrication of free-form surfaces that are frequently demanded for the construction of optical imaging systems is described. To obtain a tool motion with large amplitude and high bandwidth, a novel long-stroke fast tool servo is proposed and installed on the Z-axis of a diamond turning machine as an additional synchronized axis. In addition, a special on-machine measurement device is used to measure the optical parameters of the machined surface and to compensate for the residual form of errors that are commonly produced in the diamond turning process. Actual machining test results show that the proposed procedures are capable of generating the copper free-form mirrors of 50 mm diameter to a form accuracy of 0.15 μm in peak-to-valley value error.     

Optical measurement of spindle radial motion by moiré technique of concentric-circle gratings

This paper describes an optical moiré method intended for the testing of the radial motion of a rotating spindle. Two concentric-circle gratings of fine pitches were configured for the radial motion to be directly detected by analyzing the interferometric fringes generated by the gratings. This method was immune to mechanical and electrical disturbances since neither master cylinder nor electrical gap gage was needed. Test results demonstrated that a measuring accuracy of less than 0.01 μm can practically be achieved using the method.     

Measurement of slide error of an ultra-precision diamond turning machine by using a rotating cylinder workpiece

Two measurement methods of using a rotating cylinder workpiece, which are referred to as the one-probe method and the two-probe method, respectively, are proposed for measurement of the horizontal error motion (X-directional error motion) of the Z-slide of an ultra-precision diamond turning machine. In the one-probe method, a displacement probe mounted on the opposite position of the turned (self-cut) cylinder workpiece with respect to the cutting tool is moved by the Z-slide to scan the workpiece being rotated by the spindle with its axis of rotation along the Z-axis. The Z-slide error can be obtained by an averaged output of the probe over one rotation without the influence of the spindle error and the surface form error of the cylinder. In the two-probe method, in addition to the displacement probe used in the one-probe method, another displacement probe is mounted at the position of the cutting tool. The rotating cylinder is scanned along the Z-direction by the two displacement probes simultaneously and the Z-slide error can be accurately measured by using the averaged output of the two probes over one rotation. Both the methods can measure not only the out-of-straightness component of the slide error but also the out-of-parallelism of the Z-slide axis with respect to the spindle axis. Experiments are carried out to verify the feasibility of the proposed methods.     

The development of a high-speed spindle measurement system using a laser diode and a quadrants sensor

Reducing the manufacturing time is the trend of precision manufacturing, and the precision of a work-piece is very important for manufacturing industry. High-speed cutting is becoming more widely used and the high-speed spindle is a very important element, whose precision may affect the overall performance of high-speed cutting. Most of the studies on high-speed cutting are focused on the cutting force, the vibration of the spindle and the effects of the spindle's thermal expansion; however, the measurement of the high-speed spindle continues to use the conventional spindle measurement method.As with the measurement of the high-speed spindle, more strict demands are set on the dynamic balance of cutting tools and the bandwidth of the measurement systems when compared with common spindles. The capacitance displacement sensor has been employed for the spindle error test. The precision of the measurement system is limited by the reference (such as a master ball or a master cylinder). Also the capacitance sensor and the reference must be grounded together. This paper presents a simple spindle measurement system using a laser diode and a quadrants sensor, with accuracy up to 1 μm, within 300,000 rpm for various spindles. The system does not need any reference and it is easy to set up. This system can be applied to measure the spindle errors, the spindle speed and the spindle indexing.     

Autonomous form measurement on machining centers for free-form surfaces

This research aims at developing a measurement technique on machining centers for 3D free-form contours. An autonomous measuring principle is proposed and a prototype measuring device applicable to a machining center has been produced. In the measuring device, a laser displacement detector in a narrow range, which directly detects the distance from a point on the measured surface to the reference position of the detector output, is put together with the movable part of a linear encoder on the nut of a ball screw. A stepping motor controls the laser detector position to keep the output at the central value of the detector measuring range by driving the ball screw. Both the motor and the fixed part of the linear encoder are placed on the device base. The linear encoder detects the moving displacement of the screw nut, i.e. the position change of the laser detector. By installing the base on the spindle of a machining center and moving the table along a plane perpendicular to the spindle, the laser detector can automatically follow the contour of a work piece set on the table and measure its form along a scanning line, simultaneously. The displacement of a measured point relative to the reference position of the linear encoder output on the spindle side is just equal to the sum of the outputs of the two sensors, i.e. the laser detector and the linear encoder. Moreover, a simple experimental approach to identifying the sensing direction errors for an assembled measuring device is developed. The results of some experiments are also shown, which sufficiently demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed inspection method and error identification approach.     

SSEST: A new approach to higher accuracy cylindricity measuring instrument

The spatial rotation error of a cylindricity measuring instrument (CMI) spindle is one of the biggest obstacles to further improvement of CMI accuracy, and in order to reduce the effect of the spatial rotation error on measurement results, a new single-step spatial rotation error separation technique (SSEST) is proposed and a new spatial rotation error separation system is designed to separate the spatial rotation error of CMI section by section. SSEST proposed can be used to remove the spatial rotation error of an instrument spindle from the measurement results by first measuring the circular profile of a workpiece at i sections and rotating the workpiece through a small angle, then measuring the circular profile of the workpiece after rotation, and finally analyzing and processing the circular profiles. The spatial rotation error separation system designed integrates the functions and structures of circular profile error separation system and CMI spindle rotation system to form a new ultraprecision CMI rotation reference for autonomous separation of spatial rotation errors. Theoretical analyses and numerical experimental results indicate that SSEST can accurately remove the spatial spindle rotation error of CMI from the measured workpiece result in the range of 1–100 upr, and improves the CMI accuracy, and the error separation system based on SSEST simplifies the separation process and the separation system.     

A new method and device for motion accuracy measurement of NC machine tools. Part 1: principle and equipment

This paper describes in two parts a new method and device for measuring motion accuracy of numerical control (NC) machine tools. In the first part, the measurement principle and the characteristics of the prototype device are proposed. The device consists of a double-bar linkage with two rotary encoders. The working range of the device is disc-shaped with a radius of almost the double the link length, except a small area around the centre of the disc and an outer area both around the change points of the linkage at the centre and the circumference of the disc. Because the method has high resolution for any measuring point within the working range, it can be applied to measure most items of motion accuracy of NC machine tools. The method is particularly suitable to measure the trajectory accuracy of circular motions. The device has a compact structure and its installation on a machine tool to be measured is simple and quick. The experimental results show that the prototype device has very good response to small displacement and good repeatability with high precision to the measurement of circular motion trajectories. The influence of measurement noise is hardly observed in the experimental results.     

A new method and device for motion accuracy measurement of NC machine tools. Part 2: device error identification and trajectory measurement of general planar motions

This paper describes in two parts a new method and device for measuring motion accuracy of NC machine tools. In the first part, the measurement principle and the characteristics of the prototype device have been presented and discussed. In the second part, an efficient and practical approach to identifying the errors of the proposed device after assembly is developed and evaluated. The approach ensures realising the aim of the investigation, i.e. to measure the most items of the motion accuracy, especially, to measure and assess the trajectory accuracy of a general planar motion of NC machine tools. The result of the identification experiment by using the prototype device on a machining centre for the prototype device is presented and it well verifies the validity and practicality of the approach. Some measurement results for the general planar motions of the machining centre are also shown, which sufficiently demonstrate the desirable capability of the proposed method and device.     

Ultrasonic measurement of contact stiffness and pressure distribution on spindle–holder taper interfaces

The measurement of contact characteristics of the spindle–holder taper interface is critical for the evaluation of the performance of a machine tool spindle system. In this study, an ultrasonic method was proposed to measure the contact stiffness and pressure distribution on the taper interface. The taper interface was scanned by an ultrasound transducer, and the nominal contact area was directly estimated from the resulting ultrasonic reflection coefficient. The normal stiffness distribution was determined by the spring-damper model from the reflection coefficient. On this basis, the distributed and global radial stiffness of the taper interface was calculated by the presented theoretical formulas. Meanwhile, a calibration curve was established to convert the ultrasonic reflection to contact pressure. Based on the proposed ultrasonic method, the effects of angle fitting error and clamping force were studied. The results show that the contact area, contact pressure and contact stiffness increase with the clamping force. As the angle fitting error increases, the contact area decreases, while the pressure and stiffness at the big end of the taper interface become much larger than these at the small end. In the meantime, the global radial stiffness increases first and then decreases. This result suggests that a larger angle fit error within the permissible range is better for the global radial stiffness. Moreover, the measured results confirm that a taper joint with an angle fit error larger than +36" is not suitable for practical application, because the contact pressure at the small end is too small. To compare with the ultrasonic method, the geometrical shape profiles of the contact surfaces were constructed, and FE models were also established for contact pressure predictions. The comparison shows that the ultrasound results are consistent with the surface shape profiles and the numerical predictions. Besides, one of the taper interfaces was measured three times with the same clamping force, and the results indicate that the repeatability of the proposed method is good.     

Development and evaluation of an on-machine optical measurement device

Demand for fabricating micro-features such as fine holes, micro-cavity for injection moulding, and micro-pin using both conventional (turning, milling, etc.) and non-conventional edge detection method (EDM), wire cut EDM, etc.) processes is increasing significantly. To successfully achieve micro-machining, development of a miniature machine tool, process technology, and on-machine measurement is essential. However, in such tool-based micro-machining processes, proper tool shape monitoring, precision processing, and dimensional control require significant attention. Since these are tool-based machining processes, tool shape monitoring and control are also important technologies to be established.In this study, an on-machine measuring device was developed based on non-contact optical method to inspect dimensions of the fabricated tools (e.g. electrodes for EDM) as well as the wear of tools used for the respective processes. The developed inspection system uses a laser light source and a photo-electronic device. To minimize errors due to the change of tool measurement position and the Fresnel diffraction of laser light, an edge detection algorithm using a linear discrimination function is proposed in this study. Furthermore, an intensity measuring method was added for specimen with a smaller diameter. The experimental results show that the developed on-machine optical inspection system has the accuracy and stability to effectively monitor the fine dimensions of tools and their wear.     

Accuracy test of five-axis CNC machine tool with 3D probe–ball. Part I: design and modeling

The error model of CNC machine tool describes the relationship between the individual error source and its effects on the overall position errors. A practical problem in applying this technique to five-axis machine tool is that the predicted position errors cannot be justified. This paper, the first in a set of two, presents a new measurement device, the probe–ball, which can be used to measure the overall position errors of five-axis machine tools directly. To perform the accuracy test, a three-degree-of-freedom (3D) measuring probe is installed in the main spindle and a base plate is fixed on the turntable. The kinematic chain of the five-axis machine tool is then closed through connecting the central ball on the base plate with the extension bar of the probe. To generate simultaneous axes motion under the condition of closed kinematic chain, the central ball is defined as origin of the workpiece coordinate frame and the probe is driven along a path on a spherical test surface with the central ball as center. The overall position errors are measured with the 3D measuring probe. A theoretical model is derived to explain the nature of the probe–ball error measurements.     

Runout effects in milling: Surface finish, surface location error, and stability

This paper investigates the effect of milling cutter teeth runout on surface topography, surface location error, and stability in end milling. Runout remains an important issue in machining because commercially-available cutter bodies often exhibit significant variation in the teeth/insert radial locations; therefore, the chip load on the individual cutting teeth varies periodically. This varying chip load influences the machining process and can lead to premature failure of the cutting edges. The effect of runout on cutting force and surface finish for proportional and non-proportional tooth spacing is isolated here by completing experiments on a precision milling machine with 0.1 μm positioning repeatability and 0.02 μm spindle error motion. Experimental tests are completed with different amounts of radial runout and the results are compared with a comprehensive time-domain simulation. After verification, the simulation is used to explore the relationships between runout, surface finish, stability, and surface location error. A new instability that occurs when harmonics of the runout frequency coincide with the dominant system natural frequency is identified.     

轴承摩擦力矩测量设备的设计

为测量不同温度下轴承的摩擦力矩,基于传递法测量原理,设计一种新型轴承摩擦力矩测量设备。设备中保温箱下层的工艺孔使用密封结构进行密封,并针对被测轴承与测量主轴对接时产生的冲击问题,设计新型类鼠盘式可分离夹具,实现对接时的平稳过渡。使用LabVIEW编写相关运动控制、数据采集、控制界面程序。经程序计算处理后,获取轴承摩擦力矩值、变化曲线等数据。最后,使用该设备对SKF7207深沟球轴承进行摩擦力矩测量。结果表明：设备最大重复测量误差为0.000 49 N·m,重复性较好,满足设计要求。     

A method for measuring the guideway straightness error based on polarized interference principle

This paper presents a new method for measuring guideway straightness error based on the polarized interference principle and affords a new way to measure straightness error in real-time with high precision. Firstly, the method is demonstrated and analyzed in theory, and then the layout of the optical modulator and the polarization angle detecting unit are discussed in details. Finally, a calibration process is introduced with linear function based on the least-square method. Calibration results show that the correlation coefficients R² of the fitting curves are above 0.9999 and the standard error of the estimated value is less than 0.2 μm. The theoretical analysis of the relationship between the straightness error and polarization angle is verified. The range of measuring straightness error is above 0.5 mm with 0.5 μm resolution. The system uncertainty (k=3) is less than 1 μm after the measurement system is calibrated. Experimental results demonstrate that this method possesses the advantages of minimizing the effects caused by the variation of light intensity and the shape and surface error of the guideway. The measurement accuracy is considerable with the autocollimator having the characteristic of high reliability and accuracy. It will have a prospective application in the industrial measurement field.