Design, Analysis, and Test of a Novel Self-Sensing Fast Tool Servo

• Published in: IEEE transactions on industrial informatics Vol. 16; no. 7; pp. 4447 - 4455
• Main Authors: Yang, Xu, Zhu, Wu-Le
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway IEEE 01.07.2020; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Analytical models; Detection; Fast tool servo (FTS); Feed direction; Finite element method; Force; Force measurement; Mathematical models; Position measurement; Position sensing; Precision machining; Process parameters; self-sensing; Sensors; Servomotors; Solid modeling; Thrust; thrust force; tool position; Workpieces
• ISSN: 1551-3203; 1941-0050
• DOI: 10.1109/TII.2019.2945360

Fast tool servo (FTS) is playing an important role in ultraprecision machining, which however suffers the drawback that the tool/workpiece interaction force as a vital process parameter cannot be monitored. In this article, a novel self-sensing fast tool servo (SFTS) capable of simultaneous control of tool position and measurement of thrust force is developed. The SFTS is especially devised by adopting a novel dual feedback configuration to achieve the decoupled sensing of thrust force, whereas assuring the independent tool moving in feed direction. Analytical model and finite-element model are established to demonstrate the effectiveness of designed SFTS. Apart from the extended capability of traditional FTS in force sensing, theoretical analysis also reveals the proposed SFTS possesses a broad working bandwidth. Experimental verifications are carried out, and the results confirm that the SFTS exhibits nanoscale positioning accuracy, kilohertz-level working bandwidth, and meanwhile millinewton-level force sensing performance. The enabled self-sensing ability and superior performances make this unique SFTS promising and practical for broad applications in ultraprecision machining.