Constructed by multiple on-machine inspection: intelligent machining system driven by digital twin

There are many precise parts in aerospace products whose dimensions are difficult to ensure one-time due to multi-source errors, even though fabricated by the precision machine tool. The reason is that the cutting instruction cannot be adjusted in terms of the practical status of the error sources during the machining. Thus, the intelligent machining system (IMS), composed of an intelligent machine tool, intelligent fabrication instruction and twin model factory, is required for precise part fabrication, which can improve machining accuracy without manual intervention. In this paper, the digital twins from different perspectives are investigated with the help of multiple on-machine inspection techniques. The digital twins are integrated into traditional machine tools and cutting instructions to obtain abilities such as on-machine inspection, edge computing in machine tools, compensation fabrication, and process optimisation. Furthermore, analyzing the digital twin model interactions and evolution can enable the self-adjusting fabricaiton of difficult-to-cut parts. At last, a typical difficult-to-cut part is used to verify the capacity of the intelligent machining system. It is proven that the digital twin models can help build intelligent machine tools and processes to improve the accuracy and efficiency of machining.