Hybrid model approaches for compensating environmental influences in machine tools using integrated sensors

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Uncontrolled environmental conditions often impact manufacturing processes and lead to product quality fluctuations. For machine tools, thermal influences are a major limitation to the volumetric performance. Climate controls for the shop floor, and machines, or thermally stable structural designs are economically not feasible, promoting control-based compensation as a possible solution. Since the relationship between disturbing quantities and effects are complex and specific to each machine, appropriate modelling is a critical requirement. The authors describe an approach for developing hybrid models, superposing white-box model knowledge, and machine learning. The overall effort can be optimized by combining and balancing different modelling methods, like designing the physical model part and training intelligent algorithms. A general model structure allows a continuous integration of different white-box and black-box model components. The authors integrate self-developed smart sensors into a demonstrator machine tool to test and validate the performance of the approach.</jats:p>