Virtual machining considering dimensional, geometrical and tool deflection errors in three-axis CNC milling machines

•A virtual machining software is developed to create machined parts in the virtual environments.•Geometrical and tool deflection errors of three axis CNC milling machines are modeled.•Errors of actual machined part are enforced to the machining G-codes by developed software.•In order to validate, a free form profile in real and virtual environments are compared.

Virtual manufacturing systems can provide useful means for products to be manufactured without the need of physical testing on the shop floor. As a result, the time and cost of part production can be decreased. There are different error sources in machine tools such as tool deflection, geometrical deviations of moving axis and thermal distortions of machine tool structures. Some of these errors can be decreased by controlling the machining process and environmental parameters. However other errors like tool deflection and geometrical errors which have a big portion of the total error, need more attention. This paper presents a virtual machining system in order to enforce dimensional, geometrical and tool deflection errors in three-axis milling operations. The system receives 21 dimensional and geometrical errors of a machine tool and machining codes of a specific part as input. The output of the system is the modified codes which will produce actual machined part in the virtual environment.