An approach for crucial geometric error analysis and accuracy enhancement of gantry milling machines based on generalized correlation sensitivity

Geometric errors in gantry milling machines with long-span beams and large travel can seriously degrade workpiece accuracy. Sensitivity analysis and compensation of geometric errors with coupling and fluctuation can significantly improve the machining performance of machine tools. An accuracy enhancement approach for gantry milling machines is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the geometry error analytic fluctuation eigenfunctions are established by using the high-order Fourier series fitting. Secondly, a non-linear generalized correlation analysis model is proposed to identify the crucial errors that significantly affect the machining accuracy. Thirdly, the motion commands compensated for geometric errors are calculated. Specifically, compared to traditional inverse kinematics, the proposed error compensation process is simple and suitable for most machine tools with orthogonal linear axes. Finally, comparative cutting experiments are performed. The accuracy of the test piece is improved by approximately 34.7 % with error compensation. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated.