Spatial thermal mapping using thermal infrared camera and wireless sensors for error compensation via open architecture controllers

Errors associated with temperature deformation in computer numerically controlled machine elements are of particular concern, especially with multiple sources of heat. The open architecture controller (OAC) offers a way to handle the issue. It has the feature to host several external devices to support full error compensation using various types of sensor that are not conventional in machine tools, such as thermal cameras and wireless temperature sensors in a network. The current paper introduces OAC principles and types as well as innovative techniques including wireless and infrared cameras to acquire spatial temperature on machines. A wide spatial mapping of errors from various sources can be implemented; for example, thermal errors that are difficult to model but could be measured and mapped over the whole machine. The resulting mapped errors are then used for error compensation in a complementary way to other existing techniques. OACs are implemented in recent machine tools to ease the hosting of external devices. This feature helps to improve error compensation, to ease early error detection, and to manage machine failures, with the objective to maintain the machine precision.