A method for monitoring the machine geometry of at least one gear cutting machine (10), having the following steps: a) measuring a workpiece in a measuring device (20) in order to determine actual data, wherein a workpiece is concerned which was previously machined in the machine (10) on the basis of specification data (VD, ΔVD, MD, ΔMD); b) correlating the actual data with the specification data (VD, ΔVD, MD, ΔMD) in order to thus determine the deviation of a geometric setting of at least one axis of the machine (10); c) storing the deviation of the geometric setting; d) repeating the steps a)-c) after the machining of further workpieces in the machine (10); e) performing a statistical evaluation of several of the stored deviations in order to determine a geometric change in the axis of the machine (10) by considering a predetermined condition and/or rule.

A method for compensating for the deflection of a milling cutter during the machining of a workpiece by a numerically controlled machine tool having a plurality of axes includes: executing a learning cut on a test workpiece having a known geometry by the milling cutter mounted on a tool spindle in a climb milling mode, and in doing so, ascertaining a correlation between a quantity that is proportional to the torque of the drive of the tool spindle and the deflection of the milling cutter normal to a surface of the test workpiece, the deflection being determined by comparing the actual contour of the test workpiece to a setpoint contour. This is followed by storing of the correlation for the milling cutter and machining of the workpiece by the milling cutter in a climb milling mode, while utilizing the stored correlation for compensating for the deflection of the milling cutter by applying a positional correction that is proportional to the quantity to a setpoint position of the axes of the machine tool.

A method for compensating for the deflection of a milling cutter during the machining of a workpiece by a numerically controlled machine tool having a plurality of axes includes: executing a learning cut on a test workpiece having a known geometry by the milling cutter mounted on a tool spindle in a climb milling mode, and in doing so, ascertaining a correlation between a quantity that is proportional to the torque of the drive of the tool spindle and the deflection of the milling cutter normal to a surface of the test workpiece, the deflection being determined by comparing the actual contour of the test workpiece to a setpoint contour. This is followed by storing of the correlation for the milling cutter and machining of the workpiece by the milling cutter in a climb milling mode, while utilizing the stored correlation for compensating for the deflection of the milling cutter by applying a positional correction that is proportional to the quantity to a setpoint position of the axes of the machine tool.