A reference object based method to determine the parametric error components of coordinate measuring machines and machine tools

Abstract A procedure has been developed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundensanstalt (PTB) which allows the parametric errors of coordinate measuring machines and machine tools to be measured using two-dimensional or three-dimensional reference objects. This procedure is faster and, in general, at least as accurate as conventional methods which measure each of the 21 error parameters separately. A pre-calibrated two-dimensional object measured in four defined positions in the working space is favoured.