Digital Twin for Volumetric Thermal Error Compensation of Large Machine Tools.

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Metrology
• Thermal Science

Background:

• Machine tool accuracy is compromised by geometric and thermal errors, traditionally addressed separately.
• Existing methods lack a unified approach to characterize and correct these combined errors over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a unified volumetric error compensation strategy integrating geometric and thermal error sources.
• To develop a digital twin model for predicting and compensating time-varying volumetric errors.

Main Methods:

• Developed a unified calibration procedure and error compensation model.
• Integrated multiple temperature sensors and axis position data.
• Created a digital twin for real-time error prediction and compensation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a unified approach to volumetric error compensation.
• Successfully trained and validated a digital twin using controlled thermal variations.
• Showcased the model's ability to predict and compensate errors based on temperature and position.

Conclusions:

• A unified approach effectively models and compensates for combined geometric and thermal errors in machine tools.
• The digital twin provides a robust solution for real-time volumetric error management.
• This methodology significantly enhances machine tool accuracy and performance.