Form-accuracy analysis and prediction in computer-integrated manufacturing

The manufacturing of high-quality products at low costs is one of the greatest challenges of every company today. Form accuracy is among the quality parameters of machined parts and is directly related to functional performance. Control and improvement of form accuracy is to be performed under the computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) concept. This paper investigates the form accuracy of mechanical machining and studies the essential aspects and procedures of form-accuracy simulation. The emphases are on the integration of form-accuracy analysis and the simulation into the CIM database construction and virtual manufacturing. Form-accuracy analysis in this paper reveals that the inherent drawbacks in design will directly affect the geometric quality of a workpiece, and proper process planning can enhance the manufacturability of parts with the required geometric quality. The simulation procedure implemented in this paper can be used at the design stage to predict the form accuracy of a machined part and functional performance. The procedure can also be used at the process planning stage to predict and control form accuracy during the machining process.