Interim Checks For Machine Tools

Interim checks of machine tools allow preventative maintenance and are a basis for quality assurance in manufacturing. Interim checks should be fast, and therefore fast checks, like the diagonal displacement test, are introduced. Another possibility for interim checks is the manufacturing of standardized test pieces. Possibilities with the ISO test piece for machining centres are discussed. Standardized test pieces or just elements of test pieces or fast and comprehensive tests will give manufacturers more information on their machine tools at lower costs. 1 Why interim checks? The aim of interim checks is to monitor the performance of the machine tool and to recognize any changes in the performance. An optimum monitoring of the machine tool allows machine maintenance before workpieces are out of tolerance or before a mechanical breakdown occurs. On universal NC machine tools programming errors can cause crashes, after those an interim check may provide information on whether the crash caused any damage to the machine. On a single purpose machine tool the periodic check of the workpiece gives the necessary information on the performance of the machine and on any changes in its performance. On a universal machine tool, like a machining centre or a turning centre, the workpieces produced can have significant different features. Transactions on Engineering Sciences vol 16, © 1997 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3533