Six Degrees of Freedom

Machine Tool Motions that can cause Positioning Errors

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Machine tools with just 3 axes of movement can exhibit 18 individual motion errors (6 per axis), plus square between each pair of axes, for a total of 21 potential errors in machine tool motion.

Calibrating machine tools with lasers allows detection of these errors so they can be corrected and compensated, thereby reducing scrap and rework and increasing machine productivity.

As a machine tool table moves along its ways, it experiences motions from a number of degrees of freedom. This motion can result in inaccurate machine positioning along the axis of linear displacement.

The six degrees of freedom are:

1. Linear Positioning
2. Pitch
3. Yaw
4. Roll
5. Side to Side Straightness (Horizontal)
6. Up and Down Straightness (Vertical)

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