An error identification method for identifying an error includes: securing a calibrator having three or more spheres on the table; measuring an initial position of the calibrator with a position measurement sensor tool; calculating a reference angle of each of the rotation axes for positioning the calibrator to a predetermined reference position using a measured value in the measuring; indexing each of the rotation axes individually to a plurality of indexed angles with respect to the reference angle and measuring a center position of a sphere of the calibrator secured on the table at each of the indexed angles with the position measurement sensor tool; and identifying a positioning error and a straightness error of the linear axis, a squareness error between the respective linear axes, and a position error and an inclination error of each of the rotation axes based on a measured value in the indexing.

An error identification method includes: installing a calibrator including a sphere row A and a sphere row B in which a plurality of spheres are linearly aligned in a direction perpendicular to the sphere row A on a table such that the sphere row A and the sphere row B are approximately parallel to respective two of the translational axes and measuring positions of a plurality of spheres of the sphere row A and the sphere row B using a position measurement sensor tool; rotating the calibrator to a plurality of angles around a normal direction on the upper surface of the table to install on the table and measuring each position of the plurality of spheres of the sphere row A and the sphere row B; and identifying an error of the translational axis based on measured values in the installing and the rotating.

Applied within an automated robotic manufacturing system that includes additive manufacturing capabilities, methods and enabling devices are disclosed for achieving precise multi-dimension positional alignment among a plurality of diverse took that are involved in collaboratively constructing a solid object. The enabling devices according to various embodiments include an automatically deployed contact sensing probe and a tool center point sensor that detects contact with tools in multiple axes. At least one disclosed method advantageously utilizes both sensing devices in complement.

Disclosed is a position controller for a tilting head in a machining center. The position controller includes an offset attachment having a body combined to the tilting head and a spherical contact secured to the body, an offset detector built in the machining center such that the offset detector move out into a process area of the machining center and automatically detects a tool offset from a contact point with the spherical contact, a storing unit individually storing first and second tool offsets by respective rotation positions of the tilting head, and an operator generating a transform offset of the first tool offset by a rotational transform and a center error vector from the transform offset and the second tool offset. Accordingly, the center error of the tilting head is automatically detected and corrected in the machining center.

An apparatus to assist a machinist in the setup of a remote computer controlled machine tool table has an X-axis electronic gauge block assembly, a Y-axis electronic gauge block assembly, and a Z-axis electronic gauge block assembly each positioned on the machine tool table, to respectively collect X-axis probe position values, Y-axis probe position values, and Z-axis probe position values. Environmental sensors collect environmental values. An electronics processing system establishes a raw X-axis probe position, a raw Y-axis probe position, and a raw Z-axis probe position. A wireless interface transmits the environmental values, the raw X-axis probe position value, the raw Y-axis probe position value, and the raw Z-axis probe position value to the remote computer and receives from the remote computer refined probe position values to assist the machinist in the setup of the machine tool table.

A method of machining a feature in a component using a machine having a support rotatable about a rotation axis and having a cutting tool movable relative to the component, the component being mounted on the support for rotation about a central axis of the component, the method includes: determining coordinates of at least three points on a reference surface of the component, the at least three points being circumferentially offset from one another relative to the central axis; determining an angular correction to apply to the cutting tool based on the coordinates of the at least three points; and machining the feature in the component using the cutting tool angled with the angular correction.

Applied within an automated robotic manufacturing system that includes additive manufacturing capabilities, methods and enabling devices are disclosed for achieving precise multi-dimension positional alignment among a plurality of diverse tools that are involved in collaboratively constructing a solid object. The enabling devices according to various embodiments include an automatically deployed contact sensing probe and a tool center point sensor that detects contact with tools in multiple axes. At least one disclosed method advantageously utilizes both sensing devices in complement.

An error identification method includes: installing a calibrator including a sphere row A and a sphere row B in which a plurality of spheres are linearly aligned in a direction perpendicular to the sphere row A on a table such that the sphere row A and the sphere row B are approximately parallel to respective two of the translational axes and measuring positions of a plurality of spheres of the sphere row A and the sphere row B using a position measurement sensor tool; rotating the calibrator to a plurality of angles around a normal direction on the upper surface of the table to install on the table and measuring each position of the plurality of spheres of the sphere row A and the sphere row B; and identifying an error of the translational axis based on measured values in the installing and the rotating.

Disclosed is a position controller for a tilting head in a machining center. The position controller includes an offset attachment having a body combined to the tilting head and a spherical contact secured to the body, an offset detector built in the machining center such that the offset detector move out into a process area of the machining center and automatically detects a tool offset from a contact point with the spherical contact, a storing unit individually storing first and second tool offsets by respective rotation positions of the tilting head, and an operator generating a transform offset of the first tool offset by a rotational transform and a center error vector from the transform offset and the second tool offset. Accordingly, the center error of the tilting head is automatically detected and corrected in the machining center.

An apparatus to assist a machinist in the setup of a remote computer controlled machine tool table has an X-axis electronic gauge block assembly, a Y-axis electronic gauge block assembly, and a Z-axis electronic gauge block assembly each positioned on the machine tool table, to respectively collect X-axis probe position values, Y-axis probe position values, and Z-axis probe position values. Environmental sensors collect environmental values. An electronics processing system establishes a raw X-axis probe position, a raw Y-axis probe position, and a raw Z-axis probe position. A wireless interface transmits the environmental values, the raw X-axis probe position value, the raw Y-axis probe position value, and the raw Z-axis probe position value to the remote computer and receives from the remote computer refined probe position values to assist the machinist in the setup of the machine tool table.