ENSURING PRECISION

THROUGHOUT A BATCH

Successfully competing in
a global market requires a
SIX DOMAINS PROVIDING
combination of having a range OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEL
of unique advantages and ways
of standing out from the crowd. When developing a prototype you need to leave room for error
Precision manufacturing offers this and process adjustments. But once the model is ready and you
opportunity, but at the same time
make a complete series, this must proceed with great precision if
it poses challenges in terms of
you are to keep the costs under control. In our new white paper
machinery, control and tooling. Six
we focus on a few hardware and software solutions from Sirris that
domains were identified in which a
company can make the difference. make all this possible.

To manufacture to high precision, down to 5 microns, you need to

exclude as many mistakes as possible in advance. A production
simulation can help to achieve this. To do this, we develop a
precision model at Sirris. This is a type of roadmap that allows your
manufacturing company to identify causes of inaccuracy by way of
fixed procedures.

In addition, it is important to monitor the machines and the

behaviour of the materials during the production process itself. In
this way, you know exactly when something goes wrong and can
make appropriate adjustments in good time. Sirris can also help
with this. For example, we examine how to monitor the tool wear
by monitoring and analysing high frequency sound signals.
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MARKET NEED
Once the design is finalised and a prototype is validated, precision
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future components need to be machined in small to large series. Where
in prototype machining there was still some room for error and
manual corrections vis-à-vis the series production, accuracy must
be ensured to maintain cost-effectiveness. Since machining
conditions vary throughout series production (warming-up of
machine tools, tool wear, etc.), all potential deviations must be
business product factory monitored and offset and/or controlled to achieve this requirement.
of the future of the future of the future

Generally some kind of automated solution involving unmanned

production is introduced to achieve cost-effectiveness. However,
only processes that can be completely faithfully reproduced or are
under absolute control can be automated successfully.
As series get smaller, the need to get things right first time (‘first time
right’) increases. Whereas in large series some time can be spent on
process development, in small series the quality of the components
should be guaranteed right from the start.

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POTENTIAL & CHALLENGES

Realising a prototype precision component is already quite a task
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future but producing precision components in larger numbers is even more
of a challenge. Any company machining precision components
whether in large or small series has to address this issue.

This challenge can be met by taking preventive and compensatory

measures. In terms of prevention, different software and hardware
business product factory can be introduced to simulate machine tools, cutting tools and
of the future of the future of the future
material behaviour, to measure and optimise machine tool accuracy
and select machining conditions. Here the challenge lies in
reconstructing the specific machining environment accurately in the
software. If this is not done properly, the simulation results will not
reflect the actual machining conditions on the ground.

As regards compensation, novel sensor systems can be installed

to monitor the actual machining process. The challenge here is
to interpret the captured data and translate it into the appropriate
compensatory measures.

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RESEARCH RESULTS
Eliminating errors in the preliminary stage
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future
In a machining environment there are a lot of influencing parameters,
with these resulting from the different aspects of the process: the
machine tool, the influence of the tempaerature, the cutting tool,
clamping, and so on. The accuracy of the end product is the sum of
all the inaccuracies due to these components. Each of them has a
certain influence, whether large or small, and should be controlled in
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future the best possible way. To know what the priorities are, it is important
to know what weight they carry in terms of the overall error, which
is the reason why a “fault error budget” or “precision model” was
developed.

0,06

0,05
Dimensional Error [mm]

0,04

0,03

0,02 Measured
Measured (Radius Compensated)

0,01 Measured (Radius Compensated

and Programming Error Compensation)
Calculated
0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000
Material Removed [mm3]

Influence of tool wear

3
Axial Error - Synchronized
2,5 Radial Error - Synchronized

2
Error [μm]

1,5

0,5

0
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000
RPM [-]

Influence of spindle error

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 Tests were carried out to isolate influences which enabled us to
quantify the different type of errors. Strategies can be implemented
to compensate for each of these errors.

Controlling the process during machining

During cutting processes, various detection signals can be used as

an indicator of certain process results. In each modern CNC centre,
a power bar is shown on the control which indicates the amount of
power used to cut the material. But the approximation it provides is
too rough to measure detailed process aspects, such as tool wear.
Also the use of forces is not accurate enough.

In a state-of-the-art study, comparisons have been made between

the various detection signals. There is substantial potential for the
use of acoustic emissions (in combination with other types of signals,
e.g. forces).

Evaluation of monitoring parameters

Spindle Acoustic Multi-sensor

Force Vibration Displacement
power Emission System

Effectiveness Mid Mid Mid Low High High

Sensitivity Mid Mid Low Low High High

Flexibility Low High Low High High Mid

Robustness Mid Mid Mid Low Mid High

Suitable for
Typical for tool
Comment continuous
breakage
process
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 When comparing the high-frequency acoustic emissions signal
and the tool wear (Vb) during cutting, a clear correlation was found
when converting the acoustic emissions into a “moving averages”
measurement. These types of correlations depend on tools, materials
and the cutting parameters used. Therefore, the system can be
used as a tool-wear monitoring tool, but has to be referenced for a
certain combination of cutting tool, conditions and materials. When
certain limits are exceeded, this can be a signal for the machine and/
or operator to change the cutting tool. This is not only important
for avoiding tool breakage or uncontrolled damage, but e.g. also
because the surface roughness increases with growing tool wear,
so this also acts as a potential general process monitoring system.

25 Mov Avg
Tool wear
20

15
Millions

10

0
0 2000 4000 6000

Comparison between measured tool wear and moving average Light geometry check equipment
high frequency signal
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Controlling the machinery status

Cutting forces and movements demand a lot from a milling unit.

Over time, the machine tool will become less accurate and small
deviations will arise, hence it is essential that a quick check is
included when conducting preventive maintenance on a machine.

A study has been carried out on the “light geometry check” methods.
This type of check can be conducted every week and gives a quick
GO/NO-GO signal indicating whether the production processes can
be continued. A few commercial systems, e.g. Rotary Inspector from
IBS and NC Checker from MetSoftPro, are available, each of them
having their own specific advantages. The type of measurement
and the specifications of the customer will determine which solution
provides the best fit.

When certain limits are passed, a more in-depth control should be

carried out and/or measures should be taken to make sure that the
machining of parts stays within the tolerance thresholds.

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INDUSTRIAL EXAMPLE
ASCO is a world-class aerospace designer and manufacturer of
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future high lift mechanisms, complex mechanical assemblies and major
structural components. ASCO has a host of three-, four- and five-
axis machining centres for processing both aluminium, steel and
titanium precision components. Since the quality of components
largely depends on machine-,tool accuracy, ASCO runs an intensive
quality programme to measure, control and guarantee the accuracy
business product factory of machine tools throughout their lifetime.
of the future of the future of the future

Different machine-tool configurations call for different quality-control

procedures and measurement systems. In a bid to maximise cost-
effectiveness, ASCO is seeking to implement a uniform measurement
procedure for all machine-tool configurations. In order to minimise
production down time, measurements should be carried out within
a 30-minute timeframe. Furthermore, the measurement has to be
performed following limited training.

After careful consideration of all the potential systems and

methods, ASCO has decided to combine several techniques in their
procedure. This procedure, based on reference fixtures and spindle
probe usage, may be carried out by the operator on a weekly base
(frequency can be altered based upon machine tool performance
history), with the operator issuing a red light or a green light to start
production. In the event of a red light, maintenance engineers will
perform more elaborate measurements to identify and correct the
relevant problem. In the case of a green light, production can safely
start or continue.
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SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY

Depending on the level of precision required, different hardware
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future and/or software solutions or, in many cases, a combination of these
solutions must be implemented. When machining takes place in the
neighbourhood but above machine-tool limits, often only a regular
check of machine-tool accuracy is required. Complex measurements
and simulation tools however become necessary if operators wish
to go beyond the specific machine-tool accuracy. In the case of
business product factory cutting tools, setting a lifetime for the tools, after which they need to
of the future of the future of the future
be renewed can do the trick in many applications. But when striving
for the very last micron or seeking maximum cost-effectiveness,
an online evaluation and compensation of tool wear should be
introduced. The fault error budget or precision model, when applied
to your machining environment, will help you choose and dimension
the software and hardware solutions to be implemented.

This issue is a hot topic for the future, with Machining 4.0. Digital
platforms set to enhance the collection of all kinds of data and
to enable users to control the production process and intervene
(automatically) to avoid generating any scrap. This combination of
data and machining will assume great importance over the next
decade.

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EXPERTISE AND FACILITIES

AT YOUR DISPOSAL
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future
The Precision Machining Lab at Sirris:

• the Fehlmann Versa 825 five-axis high-precision milling centre;

• the high-precision Erowa clamping system;
• the Mitutoyo Apex-S 3D coordinate measuring machine;
• a laser texturing machine for surface functionalization
business product factory
• an acclimatised chamber.
of the future of the future of the future

Various specifications:

• milling of precision components to an accuracy of 3 μm;

• machine travel range: X: 820 mm; Y: 700 mm; Z: 450 mm;
• spindle: 20,000 rpm, 24 kW and 120 Nm at 50-1,920 rpm;
• clamping with micrometric repeatability;
• CNC-controlled (scanning) measurements from CAD;
• measurement accuracy of 1.7 μm + 0.3 L/100 μm (L in mm).

The precision machining lab, its infrastructure and engineers,

are at your service to:

• realise your prototype precision components for new applications;

• become conversant with precision machining before investing
yourself;
• provide you with support with regard to the machinability and
cost-effective manufacturing of precision components.
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THE AUTHORS
Sirris is the collective centre for the Belgian technology industry. The
business product
business factory
product factory
of the future ofthe
of thefuture
future of the
of the future
future Advanced
of the future Manufacturing Department boasts more than 60 years of
experience in the field of machining technology. Sirris was the first or-
ganisation in Belgium to introduce NC programming, damped-boring
bars, tool management, high-speed milling, five-axis simultaneous mill-
ing, hard turning and laser ablation. Over the last four years the focus
has been on achieving micrometric precision levels on five-axis milling
business factory product
product business factory machines that, while high-end, is within the reach of SMEs. Working
of the future of the future of the future
of the future of the future of the future
with industry, our applied research has led to game-changing results.

Peter ten Haaf

Program Manager - Precision Manufacturing
As responsible for the Precision Manufacturing department Peter
defines the research strategy and supports industry in detecting their
own opportunities.

Olivier Malek
Expert Machining Advanced Materials and Surface Functionality
Olivier is responsible for research and industrial projects on high
precision machining. His interests lay in non-traditional machining
technologies and advanced materials in particular.

Krist Mielnik
Expert High-precision Milling
Krist focuses on the finishing process optimisation of the gear
prototype, realignment problems and precision finishing of additive
manufactured parts and methods to evaluate and improve machine
precision.

Tom Jacobs
Expert Machining Advanced Materials and Monitoring Solutions
As a senior engineer, Tom is helping companies with research on
methods to control precision during production with the help of
sensors and real-time data.
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PARTNERS
The research descripted within this publication was a collaboration
business product factory
of the future of the future of the future between

business product factory

of the future of the future of the future

This publication has been made within the framework of “VIS” and
supported by Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en
Technologie (IWT).

DIAMANT BUILDING
Boulevard A. Reyerslaan 80
B–1030 Brussel
+32 2 706 79 44
www.sirris.be
info@sirris.be
©Sirris

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