Compensate for inaccurate mechanics in production
A
NEE Controls product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Feb 23, 2001
An AMC controller fitted with Error Compensation Mapping can compensate for inaccurate mechanics on a variety of production machines, giving cost savings in the components used and in setting-up times
A significant proportion of the costs of a precise, high accuracy machine, are found in the high standard and quality of the components that have to be used in the build and the expertise required during the build.
If low cost components are used, generally accuracy will be sacrificed unless there is some way to correct the inaccuracies.
Error Compensation Mapping, ECM, compensates for and corrects mechanical errors and is a cost effective solution to this perennial problem.
An AMC controller fitted with Error Compensation Mapping can compensate for inaccurate mechanics on a variety of production machines.
This gives OEM's and system builders, cost savings, both in the components used and in labour intensive, lengthy, mechanical setting up procedures.
ECM software has now been created to easily, rapidly and accurately produce a map of errors that exist between the machine motors and tool head.
The map is then used by the North East Electronics AMC range of motion control systems, to compensate for repeatable and predictable axis inaccuracies during the production of components, providing a more precise machine, effectively eliminating part size errors.
During the mapping process the ECM software communicates with the NEE AMC controller, commanding machine movement and gathering information from both the motor encoder and an additional accurate linear encoder or laser measuring system.
This is temporarily fitted to the machine tool head and provides accurate positions to the controller permitting generation of the axis error compensation map.
Once generated, axis ECM data can be viewed in text and graphical format, of error vs.
machine position, for confirmation and analysis.
After ECM data has been generated for each axis it is permanently flashed into the AMC controller where it is used to continually correct machine positions.
The ECM data can be archived, so the mechanical performance can be analysed during the life of the machine.
The Microsoft Windows based ECM software uses a 'Wizard', this guides the operator through the few steps required to set up the machine for the mapping sequence.
It is possible to pre-set the machine accuracy required, the software then repeatedly maps the machine until the pre-set accuracy is achieved.
Additionally the software can check for machine backlash, this can be displayed in a text or a graphical form.
It is also possible to overlay and visually compare two ECM data files.
Current views may be printed.
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