MACHINE AND METHOD UTILIZING THERMAL COMPENSATION.

摘要

In summary, therefore, this invention is directed to a thermal growth detector and compensator for detecting and compensating for relative movement between a work holder of a machine tool and a tool holder, that includes an elongated rod made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of substantially zero that is attached at one end thereof to a part of a machine tool, and is attached at another end thereof to a part of a work holder on the machine tool. There is an element disposed at one end of the elongated rod for detecting movement of the rod, and an automatic compensation means is operatively connected to the movement detection element for automatically moving a tool holder relative to the work holder as a function of the movement of the rod detected by the movement detection element to compensate for movement of the work holder relative to the machine tool, whereby any movement of the work holder relative to the tool holder is detected and compensated for by moving the tool holder to compensate for movement of the work holder relative to another part of the machine tool.