A novel machine tool design approach based on surface generation simulation and its implementation on a fly cutting machine tool

The paper presents a novel machine tool design approach which is based on the surface generation simulation and evaluation. This design approach bridges the gap between the machine tool performance and the surface topography generation, in view of the machine tool performance realizing the surface topography’s prediction. The main influential factors of surface topography in multi-scale are discussed and modeled by different methods. In addition, by introducing the test software at the early machine tool design stage, the surface topography indicators’ disparity between the simulation results and the design requirements are contrasted, which can indicate directions for the machine parameters’ optimal design, such as the straightness and the dynamic performance. An ultra-precision fly cutting machine tool was designed under the guidance of this approach, and machining trials were carried out to evaluate and validate the approach and simulations presented.