Hybrid Modelling of Machine Tool with Integrated Cooling System

In this paper, a method of hybrid modelling of machine's mechanic structure together with mechatronic cooling system of its body is presented. In this method, a FEM model, traditionally used for thermal analyses of machine's thermal behaviour, has been integrated with mechatronic model of cooling system, implemented in MATLAB. In such way, a hybrid model has been created, allowing to simulate the control of machine body cooling process. Applied simulation of cooling the region of body, adjacent to the guide, illustrates the possibility of controlling the temperature in chosen points of the machine tool, in transient state, which would ensure minimal body deformations, small enough not to require compensation, which is generally hard and of limited precision. Thermal model of machine tool has been built with the use of SATO system [1]. In this work, time-domain temperature changes with and without the use of regulation by means of PID regulator have been compared. Results of the simulation show the usefulness of presented hybrid modelling method for the improvement of machine tool thermal behaviour.