Original Date: 11/03/1996
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Engineering personnel at the Y-12 Plant at Oak Ridge have developed an automatic testing and compensation generation system which conducts structured positioning and squareness tests to provide a graphic plot of the error data with warnings identifying potential machine tool non-conformances, while generating compensation data in the required format. Machine tool mechanical accuracy has typically been enhanced by axis and reversal error calibration for improving positioning error. More recently, other electronic machine accuracy compensation such as axis alignment (squareness) and beam sag compensation has been added to machine controller software. However, the problems associated with machine tool testing and application of the compensation techniques have limited the usefulness of these features.

All equipment used in the system developed at Y-12 is standard and typically available in large manufacturing facilities. The equipment includes a laser interferometer, computer, plotter, multimeter, electronic indicator, and a NC tape punch integrated into one system. With this system utilizing readily available equipment and software, a new dimension can be added to the machine tool compensation capability to improve manufacturing performance. Cost savings can be achieved through reduced manpower and machine downtime when machine testing is necessary, along with end results of a more accurate and repeatable machine.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.