Analysis of Nonlinear Error Caused by Motions of Rotation Axes for Five-Axis Machine Tools with Orthogonal Configuration

Since a nonlinear relationship exists between the position coordinates of the rotation axes and components of the tool orientation, the tool will deviate from the required plane, resulting in nonlinear errors and deterioration of machining accuracy. Few attempts have been made to obtain a general formula and common rules for nonlinear error because of the existence of various kinematic structures of machine tools with orthogonal configuration. This paper analyzes the relationship between the deviation of cutter location points and motion of tool orientations. Five-axis CNC machine tools are divided into two groups according to the configuration of the two rotational joints and the home position. Motions of the tool are regarded as a combination of translation and rotation. A model for error calculation is then built. The maximum deviation of the tool with respect to the reference plane generated by the initial and the final orientation is used to quantify the magnitude of the errors. General formulas are derived and common change rules are analyzed. Finally, machining experiment is conducted to validate the theoretical analysis. The research has important implications on the selection of a particular kinematic configuration that may achieve higher accuracy for a specific machining task.