Temperature-Sensitive Points Optimization of Spindle on Vertical Machining Center with Improved Fuzzy C-Means Clustering

The heat generated by motors and bearings of machine tools has a significant impact on machining accuracy. Error modeling and compensation has proven to be effective ways to reduce thermal errors and improve accuracy. An improved fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithm is proposed to determine the optimized temperature sensitive points for thermal error modeling of a spindle on the vertical machining center. The sensors are deployed to measure the temperature of different positions of machine tools, and the improved FCM algorithm is used to classify the measured data. Combined with the F-test statistics of multiple linear regression, the optimal temperature points of each group are selected. The improved FCM clustering algorithm significantly reduces the multicollinearity problem among temperature measuring points and avoids them falling into local optimization. The modeling method was verified through experiments on two types of vertical machining centers. The results show that the accuracy of the spindle in Y and Z directions of the machine tools was increased by more than 75%, and the model has good robustness, demonstrating application prospects in the selection of temperature measuring points of the spindle system of vertical machining centers.