Eco-efficient machine-tools by means of radical mass and energy needs reduction
NMP2-CT-2005-013989
The main objective of this project is to define a totally new concept of light, nonstiff machine tools that will result in a 70% reduction in their mass, enabling thus a drastic reduction of material resource in their construction and a saving of above 30% in energy consumption during their use (A common power consumption of an average machine tool is around 30 kW).
Current machine tools are conceived following an axiomatic design procedure according to which machines must be stiff so as to be accurate. Thus, it is estimated that approximately an 80% of the total mass of a machine tool is used to stiffen the machine, whereas only the remaining 20% is used to fulfil the kinematic requirements of the machine. Taking into account that an average machine tool may weigh 15 tons, in each new machine tool 12 tons of material are therefore used to stiffen the machine. In a context of sustainable and safe use of natural and industrial resources, this project aims at defining a new generation of machine tools that will reduce dramatically their total mass amount without deteriorating their accuracy.
With the aim of approaching this separation between mechanical stiffness and
accuracy in machine tools, this project will combine mass reduction strategies
in
combination with new control strategies based on damping considerations and new
optical servoing solutions. The cornerstone of this new machine conception
philosophy is that accuracy will be achieved by mechatronic stiffness
against disturbances and external perturbations instead of using mechanical
stiffness to
achieve that robustness against disturbances.