Thermal Error Modeling of a Horizontal Machining Center Using the Fuzzy Logic Strategy

As current manufacturing processes require high spindle speed and precise machining, increasing accuracy by reducing volumetric errors of the machine itself, particularly thermal errors, is very important. Thermal errors can be estimated by many empirical models, for example, an FEM model, a neural network model, a linear regression model, an engineering judgment model, etc. This paper discusses to make a modeling of thermal errors efficiently through backward elimination and fuzzy logic strategy. The model of a thermal error using fuzzy logic strategy overcomes limitation of accuracy in the linear regression model or the engineering judgment model. It shows that the fuzzy model has more better performance than linear regression model, though it has less number of thermal variables than the other. The fuzzy model does not need to have complex procedure such like multi-regression and to know the characteristics of the plant, and the parameters of the model can be mathematically calculated. Also, the fuzzy model can be applied to any machine, but it delivers greater accuracy and robustness.