A Control System to Improve the Accuracy of Finished Surfaces in Milling

Abstract

Adaptive control to keep the accuracy of the shape of a workpiece within acceptable levels by altering the numerical control commands according to variations of manufacturing process parameters is called “geometric adaptive control.” In this paper, a geometric adaptive control system to compensate for errors in the finished surface due to tool deflection generated by milling operations is presented. The effects of cutting forces upon the shape of the finished surface are analyzed, and the composition of the system is discussed. In the system, the location error and the waviness error at the finished surface are evaluated from the sensed bending moments in the tool. These two errors are compensated for by shifting the tool path and by adjusting the feedrate, respectively. It is verified by experiments that the accuracy of the finished surface is improved significantly by using the system described in cases where the depth of cut varies. Geometric adaptive control is useful even when a workpiece is machined by both rough and finish cuts.