Method of determining slide straightness and for providing a straight reference surface for a machine tool

摘要

A machine tool having a machining member such as a grinding wheel, a milling cutter, shaping cutter or also includes a slide on which a straight edge bar is mounted. The straight edge bar is engaged by the machining member to machine a surface on the bar held on the slide. The slide is moved at the feed rate used for machining with the particular machining member used, and then the bar is rotated about its longitudinal axis, that is, the axis parallel to the movement of the slide. The amount of error from a straight line that has been formed is sensed by sensors positioned in the same plane as the contact line of the grinding wheel. The actual error of the slide is thus determined, and portions of the surface of the bar can be gradually scraped or refined by other means until the sensors indicate that the surface has become a precise straight edge. The straight edge surface can then be used as a reference for checking workpieces or for automatic error compensation. Surfaces at 90. degree. to the first formed surface also can be corrected by rotating the workpiece to the desired position, running the machine slide and machine tool at the desired feed rate, and then determining the error from a straight line after rotating the workpiece about its longitudinal axis.