IP Library Granted Patent US 12663263
Granted Patent B2
US 12663263 · App. 17/962,671 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Batch production system and batch production method

Inventors: Silvan Meile (St. Gallen, CH); Maximillian Macha (Weingarten, DE)
Assignee: HEXAGON INNOVATION HUB GMBH
G01B21/042G01B5/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12663263
App. No.
17/962,671
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A batch production system comprising a machine tool for consecutively machining a batch of workpieces into machined pieces, the machine tool comprising a workpiece support configured for supporting the workpieces, a cutting tool, a movement system configured for providing a relative movement between the cutting tool and the workpiece support with at least two degrees of freedom, a control unit configured for controlling the movement system based on numerical control data and compensation data for compensating volumetric positioning errors of the movement system. The numerical control data are based on nominal geometry data representing a target piece that is desired to be achieved when machining the batch of workpieces into the machined pieces.

Claims (41)

1 . A batch production system comprising a machine tool for consecutively machining a batch of workpieces into machined pieces, the machine tool comprising:

a workpiece support configured for supporting the workpieces,

a cutting tool,

a movement system configured for providing a relative movement between the cutting tool and the workpiece support with at least two degrees of freedom,

a control unit configured for controlling the movement system based on

numerical control data and

a volumetric compensation map for compensating volumetric positioning errors of the movement system, wherein the volumetric positioning errors comprise intrinsic errors of the machine tool,

wherein the numerical control data are based on nominal geometry data representing a target piece that is desired to be achieved when machining the batch of workpieces into the machined pieces,

a computer configured for:

receiving measurement data, the measurement data based on at least one geometrical property of at least one of the batch of machined pieces,

modifying the volumetric compensation map based on the received measurement data and the nominal geometry data.

2 . The batch production system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement data comprise three-dimensional point coordinates for at least one point.

3 . The batch production system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement data comprise a three-dimensional point cloud.

4 . The batch production system according to claim 1 , wherein the volumetric compensation map comprise at least one compensation value associated with a three-dimensional position coordinate of the movement system.

5 . The batch production system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one compensation value comprises at least one position offset value associated with an axis of the movement system.

6 . The batch production system according to claim 5 , wherein at least one compensation value comprises at least one angle offset value associated with an axis (A 1 , A 2 , A 3 ) of the movement system.

7 . The batch production system according to claim 4 , wherein at least one compensation value comprises at least one angle offset value associated with an axis (A 1 , A 2 , A 3 ) of the movement system.

8 . The batch production system according to claim 1 , wherein modifying the volumetric compensation map is further based on at least one of a position and an orientation of the workpiece support.

9 . A batch production method of consecutively machining a batch of workpieces into machined pieces with a machine tool, the method comprising

placing a first workpiece of the batch of workpieces at a workpiece support of the machine tool,

providing numerical control data based on nominal geometry data representing a target piece that is desired to be achieved when machining the batch of workpieces into the machined pieces,

machining the first workpiece into a first machined piece with a cutting tool of the machine tool and by controlling a movement system of the machine tool based on

the numerical control data and

volumetric compensation map for compensating volumetric positioning errors of the movement system, wherein the volumetric positioning errors comprise intrinsic errors of the machine tool,

determining measurement data, the measurement data based on at least one geometrical property of the first machined piece,

providing the measurement data to a computer,

modifying the volumetric compensation map with the computer based on the measurement data and the nominal geometry data,

placing a second workpiece of the batch of workpieces at the workpiece support of the machine tool,

machining the second workpiece into a second machined piece with the cutting tool of the machine tool and by controlling the movement system of the machine tool based on

the numerical control data and

the modified volumetric compensation map.

10 . The batch production method according to claim 9 , wherein the measurement data comprise three-dimensional point coordinates for at least one point.

11 . The batch production method according to claim 10 , wherein the measurement data comprise a three-dimensional point cloud.

12 . The batch production method according to claim 11 , wherein the volumetric compensation map comprise at least one compensation value associated with a three-dimensional position coordinate of the movement system.

13 . The batch production method according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one compensation value comprises at least one position offset value associated with an axis of the movement system.

14 . The batch production method according to claim 10 , wherein the volumetric compensation map comprise at least one compensation value associated with a three-dimensional position coordinate of the movement system.

15 . The batch production method according to claim 9 , wherein the measurement data comprise a three-dimensional point cloud.

16 . The batch production method according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one compensation value comprises at least one position offset value associated with an axis of the movement system.

17 . The batch production method according to claim 16 , wherein at least one compensation value comprises at least one angle offset value associated with an axis (A 1 , A 2 , A 3 ) of the movement system.

18 . The batch production method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one compensation value comprises at least one angle offset value associated with an axis (A 1 , A 2 , A 3 ) of the movement system.

19 . The batch production method according to claim 9 , further comprising determining at least one of a position and an orientation of the workpiece support, wherein modifying the volumetric compensation map is further based on at least one of the position and orientation.