Digital Twins-Based Smart Design and Control of Ultra-Precision Machining: A Review

Abstract

Ultra-Precision Machining (UPM) is a kind of highly accurate processing technology developed to satisfy the manufacturing requirements of high-end cutting-edge products including nuclear energy producers, very large-scale integrated circuits, lasers, and aircraft. The information asymmetry phenomenon widely exists in the design and control of ultra-precision machining. It may lead to inconsistency between the designed performance and operational performance of the UPM equipment on stiffness, thermal stability, and motion accuracy, which result from its design, manufacturing, and control, and determine the form accuracy and surface roughness of machined parts. The performance of the UPM equipment should be improved continuously. It is still challenging to realize the real-time and self-adaptive control, in which building a high-fidelity and computationally efficient digital twin is a valuable solution. Nevertheless, the incorporation of the digital twin technology into the UPM design and control remains vague and sometimes contradictory. Based on a literature search in the Google Scholar database, the critical issues in the UPM design and control, and how to use the digital twin technologies to promote it, are reviewed. Firstly, the digital twins-based UPM design, including bearings module design, spindle-drive module design, stage system module design, servo module design, and clamping module design, are reviewed. Secondly, the digital twins-based UPM control studies, including voxel modeling, process planning, process monitoring, vibration control, and quality prediction, are reviewed. The key enabling technologies and research directions of digital twins-based design and control are discussed to deal with the information asymmetry phenomenon in UPM.

Design, Modeling and Implementation of Digital Twins

“…As a result of their review, they point out that the progress of DTs is still limited by the lack of DT developing methods, which is the main subject of our review. Wu et al [ 122 ] review DT applications for ultra-precision machining to improve the performance and build processes of highly accurate technology components. Semenkov et al [ 123 ] analyze how DTs can assess Cyber–Physical Systems and provide a precise evaluation of the system design and characteristics.…”

Monitoring and Predicting the Surface Generation and Surface Roughness in Ultraprecision Machining: A Critical Review

“…However, the integration of these techniques with conventional machines is highly cumbersome. Furthermore, Lei and colleagues worked on the incorporation of digital-twin-based smart design in UPM [107], and also stressed the need for process monitoring, process controlling, and vibrational control. Some promising work by Gou and colleagues in aerostatic bearing slideways in UPM using digital twin.This will likely lead to continuous improvement in predictability, producibility, and productivity [108].…”

Knowledge-Driven Manufacturing Process Innovation: A Case Study on Problem Solving in Micro-Turbine Machining

“…(4) The turbine center has no through-hole structure, which brings difficulties in turbine clamping. (5) The thickness of the blade is variable. The thickness at the root of the blade is 1.1 mm, and the thickness at the tip of the blade is only 0.8 mm.…”

“…Advancements in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, automation control, and optics and microelectronics technologies, have evolved the way in which industrial products are designed, with emphasis now being placed on miniaturization and structural complexity [1][2][3][4][5]. Product miniaturization reduces overall weight and material and energy consumption, and improves space utilization, but places greater requirements on parts micromachining technology [6,7].…”