Thermal Compensation Strategies for Deep Hole Drilling
The Thermal Drift Problem Every machine tool changes dimension as it heats up. The spindle grows, the bed expands, the leadscrews lengthen. In deep hole drilling, this thermal drift causes the hole position to shift relative to the part datum. A machine that is perfectly aligned when cold at 7:00 AM can be out of position by 0.10 mm or more by 10:00 AM. The effect is most noticeable on long holes where the spindle position relative to the workpiece changes during the cut. I have measured thermal drift of 0.05-0.15 mm on a 1-meter bed length over a 4-hour production run. On parts with hole position tolerance of 0.10 mm, this drift can push parts out of spec. ...