A new parallel mechanism machine tool capable of five-face machining

摘要

This paper introduces a new parallel mechanism machine tool that can machine the top surface and four lateral surfaces of a prismatic workpiece with one setup. No B-axis motion is necessary. Five-axis simultaneous machining can be executed in anyworkspace. This machine is based on a new parallel mechanism, Eclipse, which was invented by the authors. The Eclipse allows the spindle of the machine tool to tilt to 90 degrees from the vertical posture, and also to sweep the lateral surfaces of theworkpiece over 360 degrees. This paper presents the overall structure, the detailed design aspects, and the performance evaluation of the new parallel mechanism machine tool.