Form-Shaping Systems of Machine Tools: Theory and Applications

The form-shaping process is the main functional process performed by a machine tool. A theory of the form-shaping system (FSS) investigates interrelationships between, on the one hand, geometry and kinematics of the machine tool and, on the other, geometry and accuracy of the machined part. In this paper, the FSS theory is developed in the following ways: (1) the general approach spreads also to the FSS with parallel-type links (previously, only chain-type systems were discussed); (2) direct and inverse form-shaping problems are formulated.