Calibrating the volumetric errors of a precision machine by a laser tracker system

In this paper, a quick solution for measuring the volumetric errors of a precision machine is presented. It requires a laser tracker system and a plate including three caves on it. The laser tracker system can detect the coordinate of a sensor ball anywhere in the working space. The plate is fixed on the machine spindle. After installation, the spindle is moved toward the diagonal of the working space. The real movements are along the x, y, and z-axis directions, respectively; it will back to the diagonal line for one complete cycle motion. In each step movement, the spindle is stopped and the laser tracker detects the coordinates of the three caves by putting the target sensor ball into caves sequentially. By means of the coordinates, the volumetric errors at that position can be derived. The overall volumetric errors can be measured quickly by just one setup and many step movements with laser tracker detections