Analysis of circular trajectory equivalent to cone-frustum milling

in ve-axis machining centers using motion simulator

Noriyuki Kato
a
, Masaomi Tsutsumi
a,n
, Ryuta Sato
b
a
Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
b
Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Received 26 March 2012
Received in revised form
27 July 2012
Accepted 31 July 2012
Available online 8 August 2012
Keywords:
Five-axis machining center
Cone-frustum
Ball bar measurement
Half apex angle
Sensitive
Direction
a b s t r a c t
The present paper describes the effect of the half apex angle of the cone-frustum on the motion
trajectory under simultaneous ve-axis motion and the effect of the sensitive direction of the ball bar
when the motion trajectory is measured along the three-dimensional circular conical path. In the
present paper, simulation of the measurement by means of a ball bar instrument is mainly conducted
using a motion simulator developed previously. In particular, a precise mathematical model was
developed to express the pitch errors of the axes of rotation of the ve-axis machining center having a
tilting rotary table driven by worm gears. In the experiment and simulation, primarily the center
position and half apex angle of the cone-frustum were varied. In addition, two sensitive directions of
the ball bar were investigated. The motion simulator incorporating the pitch error model can express
the detailed trajectories obtained by the ball bar, even if the half apex angle and center position of the
cone-frustum and the sensitive direction of the ball bar were changed. Then, the inuence of the
frictional force of the linear axes of motion, and the backlash and pitch error of the axes of rotation on
the circular trajectories were analyzed. In particular, for the case of a half apex angle of 451, the
trajectory due to the errors of the axis of rotation is strongly affected by the sensitive direction of the
ball bar.
& 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Machining tests for ve-axis control machining centers (ve-
axis MCs) are conducted based on the testing method of the cone-
frustum milling prescribed by the National Aerospace Standard
(NAS 979) [1], which was published in 1969. This test was
originally designed to examine the machining accuracy of the
ve-axis MCs with a double pivot head. Recently, this has been
applied to the machining test of ve-axis MCs with a tilting rotary
table [2,3], and machine tool manufacturers are competing for the
goodness of the circularity of the machined cone-frustum [4].
However, a jig for mounting the test piece on the table beside a
milling tool is needed in order to carry out the machining test,
and, in addition, a roundness measuring machine or a coordinate
measuring machine is needed to measure the circularity. Thus,
the measurement method using a telescoping ball bar was
proposed in place of the machining test [5].
ISO/TC39/SC2/WG3 decided to prescribe the method using the
telescoping ball bar for ISO/DIS 10791-6 [6], and the details of
the draft international standard have almost been decided. One of
the test codes prescribed in the draft standard is to check the
simultaneous ve-axis motion equivalent to the cone-frustum
milling by means of the telescoping ball bar. According to the test
code, the measurements must be conducted under two test
conditions, namely, half apex angles of 151 and 451. Moreover,
the WG3 prescribed the test condition such that the ball bar axis
must be perpendicular to the conical surface of the cone-frustum.
One reason why this measurement method is adopted by the
WG3 is that a half apex angle of 451 can allow greater travel of the
axes than a half apex angle of 151. A measurement with the ball
bar equivalent to cone-frustum milling and its application to the
measured results were investigated by Matsushita et al. [7,8].
They proposed a test condition to evaluate the geometric errors
from the measured trajectories. As a result, they concluded that a
half apex angle of 301 and an inclination of 751 are suitable test
conditions. Hong et al. [9] also analyzed the inuence of the
geometric deviations on the circular trajectories of the cone-
frustum. Ihara [10] pointed out that the position of the table side
ball makes the tangential error of the rotary axis more sensitive,
and the moving range of linear axes of X and Y are increased.
The authors [11] analyzed the NC data of two apex angles of
the cone-frustum discussed in the WG3 and reported that the
travels of the axes of motion of Y, Z, and A at a half apex angle of
451 are conrmed to be considerably larger than those at a half
apex angle of 151. When the center position of the cone-frustum
is located far from the centerline of the rotary table, the travels of
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International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture
0890-6955/$ - see front matter & 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2012.07.013
n
Corresponding author. Tel.: 81 423 88 7086; fax: 81 423 88 7219.
E-mail address: tsutsumi@cc.tuat.ac.jp (M. Tsutsumi).
International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111
the Y, Z, and A axes increase, and the reversal positions of movement
of all of the axes appear separately. However, neither the difference
in the trajectories measured under half apex angles of 151 and 451
nor the sensitive direction of the ball bar have been investigated.
In addition, the inuence of the backlash and pitch error inherent
to the axes of rotation on the circular movement has not been
investigated.
Thus, a detailed model of the pitch error of the axis of rotation
is newly introduced to a previously developed simulation model
[12,13], which is our developed motion simulator. The three
dimensional circular interpolation movement equivalent to
cone-frustum cutting is simulated, and the validity of the motion
simulator is claried through comparison with the measurement
data. In addition, the inuence of friction force and tracking delay
of linear axes, and the backlash and pitch error of the axes of
rotation are investigated using the motion simulator. The features
of the trajectory are claried by changing the half apex angle of
the cone-frustum, the center position of the ball on the rotary
table and the sensitive direction of the ball bar.
2. Simulation method
2.1. Measurement using the ball bar
In the present paper, a tilting rotary table type ve-axis MC, the
structural conguration of which is expressed by w-CAYbXZ-t,
is used as a research target. The relative movement between a
spindle and a worktable is measured using the ball bar (sensor
resolution: 0.1 mm, measuring range: 1.0 mm) [14]. The NC data
was created according to the procedure (see Appendix) based on
the form shaping theory [15], without using any CAM software.
Fig. 1 shows two types of setups of the virtual cone-frustum and
the ball bar instrument. The symbols depicted in Fig. 1 are dened
as follows: y is the half apex angle, b is the inclination of the cone-
frustum, and L is the ball bar length. The relative displacement
between the center of the ball O
T
(X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
) of the table side and the
center of the ball O
S
(X
S
, Y
S
, Z
S
) mounted on the spindle nose is
measured. Fig. 1(a) shows the sensitive direction of the ball bar
that is perpendicular to the conical surface of the cone-frustum
(perpendicular measurement method). Fig. 1(b) shows that the
sensitive direction of the ball bar is parallel to the cone-frustum
bottom (parallel measurement method).
The ve-axis MC consists of a conventional three-axis MC and
a tilting rotary table with double pivot axes. The distance Z
T
from
the center of the table side ball to the centerline of the A axis that
tilts the rotary table is constant at 155 mm, and the peripheral
feed speed is constant at 1000 mm/min. Two rotations of the
circular interpolation movements are continuously measured,
and both sides of the measured data were removed in order to
exclude the inuence of the beginning and ending of the move-
ment. The measurement and simulation are conducted for half
apex angles of y151 and 451 using two measurement methods,
and the inclinations of the cone-frustum are b101 and 301.
When the ball bar axis is set parallel to the bottom of the cone-
frustum, the ball bar induces interference between the magnetic
socket and stem of the ball bar at a half apex angle of 451, so that it
is impossible to measure the 3D circular interpolation movement.
For the case of a half apex angle of 151, interference does not occur.
2.2. Motion simulator
Fig. 2 shows the motion simulator consisting of the linear and
rotary axes of the feed drive system of the ve-axis MC used in
the experiment [12,13]. The linear axes are driven by an AC servo
motor through a ball screw, and the axes of rotation are driven by
a worm gear having reduction ratio R. Friction force is introduced
to the linear axis as a disturbance, and the backlash and pitch
error of the axis of rotation are introduced to the axis of rotation.
When the direction of movement is reversed in the circular
movement of two linear axes, quadrant glitches are generally
caused by friction. A phenomenon similar to the circular move-
ment occurs in all of the linear axes. For this reason, friction force
f was introduced to the motion simulator as a disturbance, as
Ball bar axis perpendicular to the conical surface Ball bar axis parallel to the bottom surface
Ball bar
Rotary table
Measurement circle
( R=70.7 mm )
Imaginary cone frustum
Spindle
Z
Y
Center of bottom circle
O
T
(X
T
,Y
T
,Z
T
)
Center line of rotary table
Center offset
L
Sensitive
direction
Imaginary cone frustum
Measurement circle
( R=L )
Rotary table
Spindle
Interference of the magnetic
socket and shaft of ball bar
Z
Y
Sensitive
direction

Center offset
Center of bottom circle
O
T
(X
T
,Y
T
,Z
T
)
Center line of rotary table
Ball bar

Fig. 1. Two sensitive directions of the ball bar for measuring the conical circular path. A half apex angle y451, ball bar length L100 mm. (a) Perpendicular measurement
method and (b) parallel measurement method.
Fig. 2. Motion simulator of a ve axis machining center. (a) Block diagram of the linear feed drive system (G: Z-axis only). (b) Block diagram of rotary feed drive system.
K
pp
: positional loop proportion gain; K
vp
: velocity loop proportion gain; T
i
: velocity loop integration time; J: total moment of inertia of the mechanism; C: viscous damping
factor; l: lead of the ball screw; f: friction force; and R: reduction ratio of the worm gear used for the A and C axes.
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 2
shown in Fig. 2(a). Moreover, when the feed speed of the linear
and rotary axes becomes faster, tracking delay of the servo system
usually occurs in the axes. The models shown in Fig. 2 can express
the inuence of the tracking delay [13].
2.3. Pitch error model of the axis of rotation and determination of
the parameters
In the present study, a pitch error model of the axis of rotation
was developed to precisely simulate the trajectory. The pitch
error of an axis of rotation can be measured by the ball bar device
in the tangential direction of the axis of rotation [16,17]. Then, the
pitch error curve of the axis of rotation was measured by
simultaneously controlling the X, Y, and C axes and the Y, Z, and
A axes. The obtained data was analyzed by the fast Fourier
transform (FFT). The pitch errors of higher-order components
that appeared in the trajectory of the three-axis control move-
ment were modeled as follows:
R R
all

X
n
i 1
W
i
sinN
i
R
all
y
m
f
i
1
where, R
all
is the reduction ratio of the worm gear, y
m
is the motor
rotational angle, W
i
is the amplitude of the ith pitch error, N
i
is the
number of peaks per rotation of the ith pitch error, and f
i
is the
phase of the ith pitch error. In order to sufciently express the
error of a real machine, the parameters of Eq. (1) were determined
so as to t, to the highest degree possible, the pitch error curve of
a real machine. Thus, the curve tting was executed as follows:
(1) For the A axis, the circular interpolation movement of the Y
and Z axes is conducted so as to synchronize with the rotation
of the A axis under a constant peripheral speed, and the
relative displacement between the spindle and the table is
measured by the ball bar. For the C axis, the synchronous
movement of the three axes, including the circular interpola-
tion movement of the X and Y axes, is measured by the ball
bar in the same manner as the A axis.
The sensitivity direction of the ball bar is always maintained
as the tangential direction of the axis rotation during the
simultaneous three-axis motion. The measured pitch error
curve is analyzed using an FFT analyzer, and error compo-
nents with larger amplitude are acquired. The amplitude and
phase of the measured trajectory are different between the
clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) measurements,
so that the simultaneous three-axis movement is conducted
in both the CW and CCW directions of the A and C axes. When
a three dimensional circular interpolation movement equiva-
lent to machining of the cone-frustum is carried out, the A
axis reciprocates, and the C axis rotates in one direction only
for the case of a cone-frustum having a half apex angle that is
greater than the inclination angle [2,11]. In the present paper,
the data for both the CW and CCW directions were analyzed,
and the respective parameters were identied.
Fig. 3 shows the amplitude spectrum of the pitch errors of the A
and C axes. It can be observed that the components are
equivalent to the integral multiple of the number of teeth of
the worm wheel, and the other components exist in the pitch
error components of the A axis. The mathematical model of the
A axis was then modeled using two types of components, one
which is proportional to the number of teeth and another which
is independent of the number of teeth. In addition, the ampli-
tude and number of the components are different in the CW and
CCWdirections. Since it is difcult to identify the components of
the 240 peaks and 720 peaks in the CCW direction, as shown in
Fig. 3(a), the two components were not considered.
Fig. 3(b) shows the amplitude spectrumof the pitch errors of the
C axis in the CW and CCW directions. The number of peaks is
less than that for the A axis, as shown in the gure. Components
proportional to the N
1
72 and N
2
90 peaks appear. The
amplitude of the N
1
72 peaks, which is equal to the number
of teeth of the worm wheel, is considerably large in the CW
direction of the C axis. The N
2
90 peaks in the CCW direction
and the N
3
180 peaks in the CWdirection are not related to the
number of teeth of the worm wheel.
(2) Some components that are lower than the number of the
fundamental peak of N
1
, which is equal to the number of teeth
of the worm wheel, are included in the measured raw data.
The FFT analysis was conducted after the decentering error
and the backlash of the rotary table was removed from the
measured raw data. After the components that are lower than
the fundamental peak of N
1
were completely removed from
the raw data, the correction data including pitch error
components was computed by the inverse-Fourier transform.
(3) The parameter R
all
in Eq. (1) is described in the specications
as the reduction ratio of the tilting rotary table. The other
amplitudes W
i
and phase f
i
were identied by the following
procedures.
First, the amplitude W
1
for N
1
was taken from the amplitude
spectrum shown in Fig. 3. The phase f
1
is determined using this
W
1
so as to minimize the difference between the pitch error curve
expressed by Eq. (1) and the correction data.
Next, using the f
1
that gives a minimum value, the amplitude
of W
1
is repeatedly calculated in the same manner. In addition, f
1
is again determined by W
1
in order to minimize the difference
between the pitch error curve and the correction data. This
calculation is repeated until converging, and nally W
1
and f
1
are determined. The phases f
1
corresponding to amplitudes W
i
are then determined by the same procedure.
Fig. 4 shows the pitch error curve that is corrected using
the amplitude and phase determined by the above procedure.
C-axis A-axis
Number of peaks per revolution
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e

S
p
e
c
t
r
u
m

d
e
g
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
CW
N
1
=72
(2.510
-3
deg)
N
3
=180
N
5
=360
N
4
=216
N
2
=90
CCW CCW
Number of peaks per revolution
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e


S
p
e
c
t
r
u
m

d
e
g
0 200 400 600 800 0 200 400 600 800
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
10
-3
10
-3
CW
N
1
=60
N
2
=120
N
5
=328
N
7
=388
N
8
=720
N
6
=360
N
4
=240
N
3
=180
Fig. 3. Amplitude spectrum of pitch errors of the A and C axes. (a) A-axis and (b) C-axis.
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 3
The measured raw data and the correction data from which
components lower than N
1
are removed are also shown in this
gure. The prole of the raw data is considerably distorted due to
its eccentricity. The identied data are in good agreement with the
corrected data. As shown in Fig. 4(c), there are four projections at
351, 1251, 2151, and 3051 in the corrected data when the linear axes
reverse. These projections of the raw data cannot be seen clearly.
The simulation was then conducted using the identied para-
meters. The simulation results are compared with the measure-
ment results under various conditions using a ball bar, and the
validity of the motion simulator is conrmed. In addition, the
cause of the deviations that appear on the circular trajectory is
investigated using this model.
3. Validity of the simulation results
3.1. Inuence of the center position of the cone-frustum for a half
apex angle of 151
The simulation and measurement were conducted for the case
of a half apex angle of 151 and an inclination angle of 101 in order
to investigate the inuence of the center position of the cone-
frustum on the circular trajectory. When the half apex angle is
smaller than the inclination angle, the C axis moves continuously
from 01 to 3601 in counterclockwise 01 to 3601 in clockwise
without reversal, and the moving range of the A axis is twice the
inclination [2]. Therefore, any reversal point cannot be observed in
the C axis movement because the C axis rotates to one direction.
The center position of the cone-frustum was located at three
positions on the rotary table. The rst position is on the centerline
of the rotary table, and the second position is located 50 mm
from the centerline of the rotary table in the X direction. The third
position is located 50 mm from the centerline of the rotary
table in the Y direction.
The measurement and simulation were conducted in the CCW
direction at a feed speed of 1000 mm/min. The eccentricity was
removed from the measurement and simulation data by means of
the least square center method, although the geometric devia-
tions inherent to the ve-axis MC were not compensated as well
as the squareness of the three axes of linear motion. Fig. 5 shows
the measurement and simulation results on a pie chart. As shown
in Fig. 5(a), large steps are observed at 01 and 1801, and large
cyclic variations with three peaks are observed in the upper and
lower sides of the trajectory. The A axis rotates by 201 for a half
apex angle of 151 from f01 to f1801 on the pie chart. Three
teeth of the worm wheel rotate between f01 and f1801
because the number of teeth of the worm wheel for the A axis is
60. As a result, during the rotation of the A-axis, the three teeth of
the worm wheel rotate. Therefore, this peak was caused by the
pitch error of the worm gear for the A axis.
When the center position of the cone-frustum is located
50 mm from the centerline of the rotary table in the X direction,
the prole of the trajectory is similar to the trajectory shown in
Fig. 5(a). However, a short cyclic variation can be observed near 901
and 2701, in addition to a long cyclic variation, as shown in
Fig. 5(b). When the center position is located 50 mm away from
the centerline, a short cyclic variation is clearly observed at around
01, and a variation at a shorter period is observed at around 1801, as
shown in Fig. 5(c). Moreover, the short cyclic variation, which is
shown in Fig. 5(b), does not appear around 901 or 2701.
The reasons for this are discussed in the following. Such typical
features appear in the simulation and measurement results. Although
1div.:
4 10
-3
deg
180
90
0
270
0
90
0
90
1div.:
4 10
-3
deg
1div.:
4 10
-3
deg
Raw data
Modified data
Identified data
Fig. 4. Raw, modied and identied data of pitch errors of the A and C axes. (a) Pitch error of the A-axis in the CW direction, (b) pitch error of the A-axis in the CCW
direction and (c) pitch error of the C-axis in the CW direction.
90
180
270
0
90
180
270
0
90
180
270
0
Measurement Simulation
1 div.:10 0 1 : . v i d 1 m 0 1 : . v i d 1 m m
Fig. 5. Comparison between measurements and simulations in the sensitive direction of the ball bar perpendicular to the conical surface of a half apex angle of 151.
(y151, b101, CCW, Feed speed1000 mm/min). (a) (X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
)(0, 0, 155), (b) (X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
)(50, 0, 155) and (c) (X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
)(0, 50, 155).
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 4
the measured circular trajectory deects inward between 1351 and
1801, the simulation results indicate only a slight deection. Thus, the
simulation results are in good agreement with the measurement
results, except for the trajectory of this deection at 1801. The
difference in the deection at 1801 was not able to be observed in
either the simulation or the measurement after replacing the rotary
table with a new one. As such, this deection appears to have been
caused by the worm gear.
In addition, the ball bar measurement of the movement
equivalent to the machining of the cone-frustum of a half apex
angle of 451 is another test condition prescribed in ISO/DIS 10791-
6. Thus, the validity of the simulation method is investigated
through measurement and simulation under this condition.
3.2. Inuence of the center position of the cone-frustum of a half
apex angle of 451
The measurement and simulation results for the case of a half
apex angle of 451 are shown in Fig. 6, which indicates that the
trajectory of simulation is in good agreement with the measured
trajectory. Ten cyclic variations are observed between 01 and 1801
in the CCW direction, as shown in Fig. 6(a). The number of peaks
is larger than that for the case of a half apex angle of 151. This is
due to the inuence of the pitch error of the A axis driven by a
worm wheel having 60 teeth through a rotation of 601 during the
ve-axis movement.
When the center position was located far from the centerline
of the rotary table in the X direction, a short period variation
appears between 451 and 1351 and between 2251 and 3151. When
the center position was also located far from the centerline of the
rotary table in the Y direction, a similar variation to that for the
case in which the center position is located on the centerline of
the rotary table is observed between 451 and 1351, and a shorter
cyclic variation appears between 1351 and 2251. The variation for
a half apex angle of 451 is slight, although a short cyclic variation
appears between 3151 and 451 for a half apex angle of 151.
The above results indicate that the motion simulator can
express the behavior of a real machine even if the center positions
and half apex angle are changed. Then, the inuence of the
reversal error of the linear axes the backlash and pitch error of
the A axis, and the pitch error of the C axis on the trajectory is
investigated using this motion simulator in the next section.
In addition, the reason the cyclic variation decreases in amplitude
at around 01, as shown in Fig. 6 for the case of a half apex angle of
451, is investigated.
4. Inuence of mechanism errors for a half apex angle of 151
In conventional machine tools, the rotational accuracy has
been only evaluated through testing the axis of rotation of the
main spindle [18]. In the ve-axis MC with a tilting rotary table, in
addition to testing the main spindle, it is extremely important to
conduct an accuracy test of the axes of rotation of the table [19]. In
particular, the pitch error of the axis of rotation of the table directly
affects the indexing accuracy of the table at drilling or at gear
cutting. Moreover, the pitch error induces a cyclic uctuation during
the rotation of the table in the rotational direction when a constant
feed speed is commanded, and, as a result, this might generate a
striped pattern on the machined surface of the product. Therefore,
changing the center position of the cone-frustum, a simulation is
conducted in order to investigate changes, such as large steps and
cyclic deviations, in the trajectories. As shown in Fig. 2(a), dis-
turbance f was introduced to the linear axes of motion in order to
express the quadrant glitches at the reversal position of the linear
axes. Moreover, the backlash and pitch error were introduced to the
A axis as mechanism errors. For the condition in which the half apex
angle y is larger than the inclination b only the pitch error was
introduced as the mechanism error of the C axis because the C axis
rotates in one direction and without any reversal.
4.1. Friction torque and tracking delay of axes
The inuence of the friction torque and tracking delay of the
axes of motion on the trajectories is simulated prior to the
investigation of the inuence of the backlash and pitch error.
The simulation results at the center position O
T
(0, 0, 155) are
shown in Fig. 7. A projection similar to the quadrant glitch appears
at 1311, 1511, 2091, and 2291, as well as at 01 and 1801, as shown in
the gure. The locations of these projections can be determined by
analyzing the NC program as reported previously [11]. Moreover,
when there are no mechanism errors, the trajectory has a slight
inward deection at 1801.
Then, the trajectory is simulated while changing the center
position O
T
. Fig. 8 shows the trajectories when the center position
is located 750 mm and 7200 mm from the centerline of the
90
180
270
0
90
180
270
0
90
180
270
0
1 div.:10 0 1 : . v i d 1 m 0 1 : . v i d 1 m m
Measurement Simulation
Fig. 6. Comparison between measurements and simulations in the sensitive direction of the ball bar perpendicular to the conical surface of a half apex angle of 451.
(y451, b301, CCW, Feed speed1000 mm/min). (a) (X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
)(0, 0, 155), (b) (X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
)(50, 0, 155) and (c) (X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
)(0, 50, 155).
270
180
90
0
1 div.: 5 m
Fig. 7. Effect of friction of the axes of linear motion. Feed speed1000 mm/min.
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 5
rotary table. When the center position is located in the positive
direction for both the X and Y axes, as shown in the gure, the
inward deection grows. When the center position is located in
the negative direction for both axes, the outward bulge grows.
These inward deections and outward bulges are assumed to be
due to the tracking delay of the axes of motion.
In order to investigate this phenomenon, the feed speeds of the
X, Y, and C axes are analyzed while changing the center position
O
T
(X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
) of the cone-frustum. Fig. 9 shows the relationship
between the angular position f and the velocities of the X, Y, and
C axes. In the gures, the parameter Z
T
is constant at 155 mm.
As shown in Fig. 9(a), the velocity of the X axis takes a maximum
value at 1801 when the center position of the cone-frustum is
located at X
T
0 mm, and its maximum value increases with
increasing X
T
.
The velocity of the Y axis becomes to zero at 180 even if the
center position moves in both the positive and negative directions
of the X axis, as shown in Fig. 9(b). The velocity of the C axis is not
affected by X
T
and takes a maximum value at 1801. When the
center position is located at X
T
200 mm, the maximum feed
speeds of the X and C axes are 8000 mm/min and 17501/min at
1801, respectively. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 9(d), the velocity
of the Y axis takes a maximum value at 1801, and the velocity of
the X axis takes a constant value at 1801. In addition, the velocity
curve of the C axis is not affected by the parameter Y
T
.
It was already reported that either an inward deection or an
outward bulge is generated in the circular trajectory due to the
tracking delay of the axes of motion when the velocity of the axes
increases rapidly [13]. The inward deection and outward bulge
at 1801 observed in Fig. 8 may appear by the tracking delay of the
two axes.
The velocities of the X and C axes take a maximum value at
1801, as shown in Fig. 9(a), even when the center position is not
moved. As a result, the inward deection appears at around 1801
of the trajectory, as shown in Fig. 7. Therefore, there is a
possibility that the feed speed of the X and C axes is related to
the generation of the deection.
When the center position is located at X
T
50 mm, the feed
speed of the X axis takes a maximum value of approximately
700 mm/min, although it changes only slightly. If the inuence of
the tracking delay of the C axis emerges, inward deection or
outward bulge may be generated. However, neither an inward
deection nor an outward bulge is generated at 1801, as shown in
Fig. 8(a). Consequently, the reason for the change from an inward
deection to an outward bulge is the rapid speed change of the X
axis at 1801, and not the inuence of the speed of the C axis.
Similarly, the feed speed of the Y axis is increased to 6000 mm/
min at 1801, as shown in Fig. 9(d), when the center position is
moved away from the centerline of the rotary table in the Y
direction. The velocity curve of the C axis does not change, even if
the center position is moved. The amount of inward deection
and outward bulge shown in Fig. 8(b) is slightly less than that
shown in Fig. 8(a). Therefore, the inward deection and outward
bulge of the trajectory are determined by the inuence of the
tracking delay of the Y axis.
However, even when the center position is located 50 mm
far from the centerline of the rotary table in the X direction, its
Center offset
180
90
0
270
180
90
0
270
50 mm 50 mm 200 mm 200 mm
1 div.:5 5 : . v i d 1 m m
Fig. 8. Inuence of the center offset on the trajectories without mechanism errors.
(y151, b101, CCW, Z155 mm, Feed speed1000 mm/min.) (a) X direction
and (b) Y direction.
Fig. 9. Effect of the center offset on the velocity changes of the X, Y, and C axes. (y151, b101, Feed direction: CCW, Feed speed1000 mm/min, and ball bar length:
L100 mm.) (a) Center offset in the X direction: velocity of the X axis and the C axis (Y
T
0 mm, Z
T
155 mm), (b) center offset in the X direction: velocity of the Y axis and
the C axis (Y
T
0 mm, Z
T
155 mm), (c) center offset in the Y direction: velocity of the X axis and the C axis (X
T
0 mm, Z
T
155 mm) and (d) center offset in the Y direction:
velocity of the Y axis and the C axis (X
T
0 mm, Z
T
155 mm).
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 6
trajectory deects inward at around 1801. At the center position
of X
T
50 mm, since the maximal feed speeds for the X and Y
axes are approximately 2200 mm/min and 1800 mm/min, respec-
tively, the effect of the tracking delay of both axes may appear in
the trajectory. In addition, when the center position is located-
50 mm from the centerline of the rotary table in the Y direction,
since the directions of the speeds of the X and Y axes are different
from one another, the trajectory deects inward due to the delay
of the X axis and also bulges outward due to the delay of the Y
axis. Consequently, neither an inward deection nor an outward
bulge can be observed because both the X and Y axes are
inuenced at 1801.
A projection similar to a quadrant glitch appears on the
trajectory at the position at which the direction of the axis
movement reverses because the inuence of the friction torque
is actualized if there is neither a backlash nor a pitch error.
Moreover, an inward deection or outward bulge in the trajectory
occurs at approximately 1801 due to the tracking delay of the
linear axes. In the next section, the inuences of the backlash and
pitch error are investigated, and neither the tracking delay nor the
friction torque of the axes are considered in the simulation.
4.2. Inuences of backlash and pitch error of the A axis
When a ve-axis MC with a tilting rotary table is controlled
under the test condition of a half apex angle of 151 and an
inclination of 101, the axis of table rotation (C axis) rotates in one
direction, and the A axis reverses the direction of movement at 01
and 1801. As a result, two steps appear at the reversal positions of
01 and 1801 when the backlash exists in the A axis. Therefore, the
inuence of the backlash of the A axis on the shape of the
trajectory was investigated.
Fig. 10 shows the effect of the backlash and pitch error of the A
axis. As shown in Fig. 10(a), the inuence of the backlash appears as
large steps at 01 and 1801. Although the trajectory is not shown in the
gure, even if the center position is located far from the centerline of
the rotary table in both directions, the shape of the trajectory changes
only slightly. In particular, when the center position is located far
fromthe centerline of the rotary table in the Y direction, the change in
the step height at 01 and 1801 cannot be observed.
Thus, the inuence of the pitch error of the A axis on the
trajectory was investigated. The results are shown in Fig. 10(b).
The inuence of the pitch error appears as the upper and lower
symmetric trajectory, as shown in the gure, because the A axis
only reciprocates during simultaneous ve-axis motion. Three
long cyclic variations can be observed on the trajectory. A short
cyclic variation that is inherent to the A axis is superimposed on
the long cyclic variation. Even if the center position of the cone-
frustum is located far from the center of the rotary table, the
inuence of the pitch error of the A axis does not change, although
no results are shown in the present paper.
4.3. Inuence of pitch error of the C axis
The inuence of the pitch error of the C axis is investigated
while changing the location of the center position of the cone-
frustum. As shown in Fig. 5, the inuence of the pitch error of the
C axis does not appear when the center position is O
T
(0, 0, 155).
However, the inuence of the pitch error of the C axis appears
clearly when the center position is located far from the centerline
of the rotary table in the X and Y directions.
The shapes of the trajectories differ depending on the center
position of the cone-frustum located far from the centerline of the
rotary table in the X or Y direction. The trajectories are shown in
Fig. 11. As shown in the gure, the amplitude of the cyclic
variation due to the pitch error of the C axis takes a maximum
value at 901 and 2701 and a minimum value at 01 and 1801.
Moreover, only the amplitude increases proportionally to the
distance between the center position of the cone-frustum and
the center of the rotary table.
When the center position of the cone-frustum is located far
from the center of the rotary table in the Y direction, the
amplitude takes a maximum value at 01 and 1801 and a minimum
value at 901 and 2701. However, the period of the pitch error
changes greatly. The period is the longest at 01 and is the shortest
at 1801. Therefore, it is difcult to distinguish the effect of the
pitch error of the C axis based on the results of the FFT analysis of
the trajectory when the center position is located far from the
centerline of the rotary table in the Y direction.
The effect of the pitch error of the C axis appears on the
trajectory when the center position is located far from the center
of the rotary table, but the direction of movement of the center
position is closely related to the trajectory shape. The above
simulation reveals that the reversal positions of the axes of
motion, the inward deection or the outward bulge at 1801 due
to the tracking delay of the axes, and the pitch error of the C axis
are affected by the center position of the cone-frustum. However,
neither the backlash nor the pitch error of the A axis are affected
by the center position.
5. Trajectory for a half apex angle of 451 and its sensitive
direction
5.1. Inuence of mechanism errors on the circular trajectory
As mentioned above, the step due to the backlash of the A axis
and the amplitude of the pitch error of the C axis decreased at 01
for a half apex angle of 451. Thus, the reason for decrease in the
amplitude of the trajectory at 01 was analyzed using the motion
simulator. The inuence of the friction torque and tracking delay
90
0
270
90
0
270
180
1 div.:10 m 1 div.:10 m
180
Fig. 10. Effect of the backlash and pitch errors of the A-axis. (y151, b101, CCW,
O
T
(0, 0, 155), Feed speed1000 mm/min.) (a) Backlash and (b) pitch error.
0
270
180
270
50 mm
90
180
1 div.:10 m
0
0
1 div.:10 m
200 mm
90
Center offset
Fig. 11. Effect of the pitch errors of the C axis. (y151, b101, CCW, O
T
(0, 0, 155),
Feed speed1000 mm/min.) (a) X direction and (b) Y direction.
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 7
of the axes of motion are investigated. The results are shown in
Fig. 12. In this simulation, the center of the cone-frustum is
located 7200 mm in the X and Y directions from the centerline of
the rotary table, so that the inuence of the mechanism errors is
clearly observed.
As shown in the gures, the trajectory deects inward at 1801
when the center position is located far from the centerline of the
rotary table in the positive X and Y directions and bulges outward
when the center position is located far from the centerline of the
rotary table in the negative X and Y directions. These results are
the same as those shown in Fig. 8, and the amounts of the inward
deection and outward bulge under this test condition is larger
than those for a half apex angle of 151.
Next, the inuence of the backlash of the A axis was investi-
gated. The results are shown in Fig. 13. When the center position
is located far from the centerline of the rotary table in the X
direction, as shown in Fig. 13(a), the shape of the trajectory
changes signicantly rather than the step height. The trajectory at
X
T
200 mm is quite different from that at X
T
200 mm. The
difference is in the height of the step at 01 and 1801 when the
center position is located in the Y direction, and the step at 01 is
considerably smaller than that at 1801.
Fig. 14 shows the inuence of the pitch error of the A axis. The
difference in the trajectory is visible in the right half of the gure
when the center position is located in the positive and negative X
directions, as shown in Fig. 14(a). The trajectory including the
pitch error appears in the upper half of the gure when the center
position is located in the positive Y direction, as shown in
Fig. 14(b), and, similarly, the pitch error appears on the lower
half of the gure when the center position is located in the
negative Y direction.
Finally, the inuence of the pitch error of the C axis was
investigated. The results are shown in Fig. 15. Only the trajectory
for which the center position is located in the positive direction is
shown in the gure. When the center position is located in the
negative direction, the phase of the pitch error of the trajectory is
reversed to the phase of the trajectory located in the positive
direction. The amplitude of the variation due to the pitch error
becomes maximum at 901 and 2701 when the center position is
located far from the centerline of the rotary table in the X
direction, as shown in the gure. This is the same as the results
shown in Fig. 11(a).
In contrast, when the center position is located in the Y
direction as shown in Fig. 15(b), a signicant difference in the
amplitude of the trajectory appears. In other words, the ampli-
tude of the trajectory of the right half of the gure is drastically
reduced. This trajectory is signicantly different from the results
shown in Fig. 11(b). The reason for this is thought to be the effect
of the sensitive direction of the ball bar.
The above discussion reveals that the inuences of the back-
lash of the A axis and the pitch error of the C axis are reduced in
the right half trajectory from 2701 to 901 as compared to the case
for a half apex angle of 151 when the center position is located in
the Y direction. In order to conrm whether the motion errors
of the A and C axes can be sufciently represented on the
measured trajectory, we focus on the sensitive direction of the
ball bar and compare the results with the trajectories measured
by the parallel measurement method, in which the ball bar axis is
parallel to the bottom of the cone-frustum.
5.2. Inuence of the sensitive direction of the ball bar
SO/TC39/SC2/WG3 adopted the sensitive direction of the ball
bar as being perpendicular to the conical surface of the cone-
frustum for two reasons [5]. First, a half apex angle of 451 can take
a long travel of the axes of linear motion as compared to a half
apex angle of 151 [11,20]. In this half apex angle, when the
sensitive direction of the ball bar is parallel to the bottom of the
cone-frustum, interference is caused between the magnetic
socket supporting the ball of the ball bar and the stem connecting
180 0
270
180 0
270
90 90
1 div.:10 m 1 div.:10 m
0 mm 200 mm 200 mm Center offset
Fig. 12. Effect of the friction of the axes of linear motion. (y451, b301, CCW,
Z
T
155 mm, Feed speed1000 mm/min.) (a) X direction and (b) Y direction.
180
90
0
270
180
90
0
270
1 div.:10 m 1 div.:10 m
0 mm 200 mm 200 mm Center offset
Fig. 13. Effect of the backlash of the A-axis. (y451, b301, CCW, Z
T
155 mm,
Feed speed1000 mm/min.) (a) X direction and (b) Y direction.
90
0
270
180
90
270
180
1 div.:10 m 1 div.:10 m
0 mm 200 mm 200 mm Center offset
0
Fig. 14. Effect of the pitch errors of the A-axis. (y451, b301, CCW, Z
T
155 mm,
Feed speed1000 mm/min.) (a) X direction and (b) Y direction.
90
0
270
180
90
270
180
1 div.:10 m 1 div.:10 m
200 mm Center offset
0
Fig. 15. Effect of the pitch errors of the C-axis. (y451, b301, CCW, Z
T
155 mm,
Feed speed1000 mm/min.). (a) X direction and (b) Y direction.
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 8
the ball to the displacement sensor, as shown in Fig.1(b). Second,
the stylus of the displacement sensor is set at a right angle to
the generating line of the tapered nose when the run-out of the
spindle nose of a machine tool is measured [18]. Based on
the above considerations, the WG3 adopted a method whereby
the trajectory equivalent to cone-frustum milling is measured by
a ball bar system in which the sensitive direction is perpendicular
to the conical surface.
The measurement setup consisting of the ball bar, the virtual
cone-frustum, the spindle, and the table was shown in Fig. 1.
When the sensitive direction of the ball bar is set perpendicular to
the conical surface, as shown in Fig. 1(a), the motion error of the Z
axis cannot be detected by the ball bar because the Z axis is
always maintained perpendicular to the sensitive direction of the
ball bar, even if the ve axes (X, Y, Z, A, and C) are controlled
simultaneously. That is, the perpendicular measurement method
can only measure the motion errors of the four axes of motion,
not including the axis of motion of the Z axis. In contrast, when
the sensitive direction of the ball bar is parallel to the bottom of
the cone-frustum, the motion error of the Z axis can be detected
by the ball bar, although this error becomes impossible to
measure, so that the ball bar may interfere, as mentioned above.
Thus, the difference in the trajectories measured by the two
sensitive directions was investigated.
The inuences of the friction torque and the tracking delay of
axes, the backlash of the A axis, and the pitch errors of the A and C
axes on the trajectory were investigated through simulation, in
which the center of the cone-frustum was located 200 mm from
the centerline of the rotary table along the X and Y directions.
Figs. 16 and 17 show the obtained results. The trajectory has an
inward deection near 1801, as shown in Figs. 16(a) and 17(a),
when the friction torque and the tracking delay are introduced
to the motion simulator. The amount of the deection of the
trajectory as measured by the perpendicular measurement
method is larger than that measured by the parallel measurement
method.
According to Figs. 16(b) and 17(b), which show the inuence
of the backlash of the A axis, the step height at 01 changes only
slightly when the center position is located in the X direction, and
the parallel measurement method gives a larger step height at 01,
as compared to the perpendicular measurement method, when
the center position is located in the Y direction. When the ball bar
is set perpendicular to the conical surface, the step height at
1801is lower than that in the parallel measurement method, as
shown in Fig. 16(b). The inuence of the pitch errors of the A and
C axes is slight for the perpendicular measurement method, as
shown in Fig. 16(c) and (d), when the center position is located in
the X direction.
In contrast, the amplitude of the pitch errors of the A and C
axes varies signicantly according to the sensitive direction of the
ball bar, as shown in Fig. 17(c) and (d), when the center position is
located in the Y direction. The inuence of the pitch error of the A
axis is revealed by the perpendicular measurement method to be
between 401 and 2001, as shown in Fig. 17(c), and to be from 401
to 3201 by the parallel measurement method. The amplitude of
the pitch error of the C axis varies signicantly, as shown in
Fig. 17(d). In the perpendicular measurement method, the ampli-
tude of the pitch error becomes large between 901 and 2701 and is
almost unnoticeable between 2701 and 901. In contrast, the
amplitude of the pitch error becomes large from 2701 to 901 in
the CCW direction and takes a maximum value at 01 in the
parallel measurement method.
As mentioned above, the amount of backlash of the A axis and
the amplitude of the pitch error of the C axis on the trajectory at
around 01 are affected by the sensitive direction of the ball bar. The
inuence of the backlash of the A axis becomes small at 1801 and
the inuence of the pitch error of the C axis becomes generally
small when the center position is located in the X direction. When
the center position is located in the Y direction, the inuences of
the pitch error of the C axis and the backlash at 01 of the A axis are
considerably small, and the amplitude of the pitch error of the A
axis depends on the sensitive direction. For the case of a half apex
angle of 151, there is no signicant difference between the results
obtained by the perpendicular measurement method and those
obtained by the parallel measurement method, although these
results are not presented herein.
270 270
270 270
180
90 90
0
180
90 90
0
Perpendicular Parallel
1 div.:10 m
1 div.:10 m 1 div.:10 m
1 div.:10 m
0 180
0 180
Fig. 16. Comparison between two measurement methods shown in Fig. 1. (y451,
b301, CCW, Center position O
T
(200, 0, 155), Feed speed1000 mm/min).
(a) Friction force F, (b) backlash of the A-axis, (c) pitch error of the A-axis and
(d) pitch error of the C-axis.
Perpendicular Parallel
270 270
270 270
90 90
90 90
1 div.:10 m
1 div.:10 m 1 div.:10 m
1 div.:10 m
180 0
180
0
0 180
0 180
Fig. 17. Difference between two measurement methods shown in Fig. 1. (y451,
b301, CCW, Center position O
T
(0, 200, 155), Feed speed1000 mm/min).
(a) Friction force F, (b) backlash of the A-axis, (c) pitch error of the A-axis, and
(d) pitch error of the C-axis.
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 9
6. Conclusion
In the present paper, a detailed model of the pitch errors of the
axes of rotation was proposed. The proposed model was applied
to a motion simulator of a ve-axis MC with a tilting rotary table.
The simulation results for three-dimensional circular movement
equivalent to the cone-frustum milling were conrmed to be in
good agreement with the measured trajectories. In particular, the
detailed trajectories of the half apex angles of 151 and 451 were
expressible using the proposed pitch error model. The reversal
position of the linear axes of motion and the inuences of the
backlash and pitch errors of the axis of rotation were individually
simulated while changing the half apex angles and center posi-
tions of the cone-frustum. Moreover, the inuence of the sensitive
direction of the ball bar on the trajectory was investigated. As a
result, the following conclusions were obtained.
(1) The center position of the cone-frustum inuences the rever-
sal position of the linear axes of motion, the inward deection
and outward bulging of the trajectory at around 1801 due to
the tracking delay of axes and the cyclic variation due to the
pitch error of the C axis on the trajectory. However, the center
position of the cone-frustum does not inuence the cyclic
variation due to the pitch error or backlash of the A axis.
(2) The magnitude of the detected motion trajectory depends on
the sensitive direction of the ball bar. In particular, the
tendency is remarkable for a half apex angle of 451, and the
magnitude of errors decreases at an angular position of 01.
(3) For a half apex angle of 451, the sensitive direction of the ball
bar strongly inuences the measured trajectory. The inu-
ences of the backlash of the A axis and the pitch error of the C
axis become small when the sensitive direction of the ball bar
is set perpendicular to a conical surface. In contrast, for a half
apex angle of 151, the inuence of the sensitive direction of
the ball bar is small.
The motion simulator enables diagnosis of the errors that
appear in the trajectory measured by the ball bar if the pitch error
of the axis of rotation is precisely modeled.
Appendix. Creation of NC data
Lets consider a cone placed on a rotary table shown in Fig. A1.
Here, y is a half apex angle, +P
0
O
T
P
i
f
i
(i 0, 1, 2,y.,n) is
a central angle of the bottom circle of the cone. In Fig. A1,
P
i
(Xw
i
,Yw
i
, Zw
i
), which is ith point on a measurement circle, and
P
top
(Xw
top
, Yw
top
, Zw
top
),which is the apex of the cone, are
expressed as Eqs. (A.1) and (A.2), using y and f
i
.
P
i

Xw
i
Yw
i
Zw
i
1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5

Lcos ycosf
i
Lcos ysinf
i
Lsin y
1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5
A:1
P
top

Xw
top
Yw
top
Zw
top
1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5

0
0
L
sin y
1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5
A:2
Then, the cone is inclined to b about the Y axis. When the center
of the bottom circle of the cone is O
T
(X
T
, Y
T
, Z
T
), which is dened in
Fig. 1, the ith point on the measurement circle P
i
0
(Xw
0
i
, Yw
0
i
, Zw
0
i
)
and the apex P
0
top
(Xw
0
top
, Yw
0
top
, Zw
0
op
) after inclination are
expressed as follows:
P
0
i

Xw
0
i
Yw
0
i
Zw
0
i
1
h i
T
D
b
O
T
P
i
A:3
P
0
top

Xw
0
top
Yw
0
top
Zw
0
top
1
h i
T
D
b
O
T
P
top
A:4
where
O
T

1 0 0 X
T
0 1 0 Y
T
0 0 1 Z
T
0 0 0 1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5
D
b

cos b 0 sin b 0
0 1 0 0
sin b 0 cos b 0
0 0 0 1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5
Using Eqs. (A.3) and (A.4), a tool axis vector T i j k 1
h i
T
can be calculated by Eq. (A.5):
T
P
0
top
P
0
i
P
0
top
P
0
i

A:5
Substituting T i j k 1
h i
T
for Eqs. (A.6) and (A.7), command
values A
ref
and C
ref
are calculated.
A
ref
cos
1
k
180
p
A:6
Fig. A1. Denition of symbols and cutter path on conical surface of cone-frustum. (a) Bottom surface parallel to the XY plane and (b) bottom surface inclined to b about the
Y axis.
N. Kato et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 64 (2013) 111 10
C
ref

sgnicos
1
:
j

i
2
j
2
p
180
p
, 9k9a1
arbitrary, 9k9 1
8
<
:
A:7
where, sgn(a) is a sign function, which determines the sign of a
real number a, and returns the following values:
sgna
1, aZ0
1, ao0
(
A:8
The command values of the three axes of linear motion can be
calculated by Eq.(A.9) from the tool path on the work coordinate
frame and command values of the tilting rotary table.
X
ref
Y
ref
Z
ref
1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5

cosC
ref
sinC
ref
0 0
sinC
ref
cosA
ref
cosC
ref
cosA
ref
sinA
ref
0
sinC
ref
sinA
ref
cosC
ref
sinA
ref
cosA
ref
0
0 0 0 1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5
Xw
0
i
Yw
0
i
Zw
0
i
1
2
6
6
6
4
3
7
7
7
5
A:9
Time required dT (min) for a certain peripheral speed F
W
(mm/
min), a tool to move the distance L
W
(mm) between two adjacent
points, P
i
and P
i 1
, can be expressed by
dT
L
W
F
W
A:10
Finally, the feed speed F (F code) can be calculated by
Eq. (A.11). Where, dX (mm), dY (mm), dZ (mm), dA (1) and dC (1)
are the difference between the commands in each minute line
segment.
F

dX
2
dY
2
dZ
2
dA
2
dC
2
p
dT
A:11
A ve-axis machining center used in the present paper has a
structural conguration of w-CAYbXZ(C)-t. The signs of com-
mand values of the A and C axes are dependent on difference from
the calculated values.
References
[1] NAS979, Uniform Cutting Tests-NAS Series, Metal Cutting Equipment Speci-
cations, 1969, pp. 3437.
[2] S. Bossoni, Geometric and Dynamic Evaluation and Optimization of Machin-
ing Centers, Dissertation of ETH. Zurich, No. 18382, 2009, pp. 1397.
[3] S. Ibaraki, W. Knapp, Indirect measurement of volumetric accuracy for three-
axis and ve-axis machine tools: a review, International Journal of Automa-
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