Page 171 - Modular design for machine tools

Chapter
4

Application of Machine Tool

Description to Engineering Design

The structural design must be the synergy of the engineering calcula-
tion and computation and the configuration methodology. The former
must deal with the analyses of the static, dynamic, and thermal behav-
ior, whereas the latter must deal with the systematic and rational gen-
eration of the structural configuration, allocation of traveling function,
and so on, resulting in the determination of preferable or optimum
structural configuration. In due course, the machine tool description is
the utmost kernel of the configuration methodology, and it has been
considered to have higher potential for design innovation, as reported
elsewhere.
Importantly, the research works conducted so far have validated the
higher value and wider application areas of the machine tool descrip-
tion. In fact, the application areas range from the classification of
machine tools, through the analysis of the machining function in flexi-
ble manufacturing and basic layout production, to the guide for the
modular design from the similarity evaluation of structural configura-
tion. In the following, thus, some representative research works will be
quickly summarized.

4.1 Application of Functional Description
4.1.1 Classification of machining centers
and its application to marketability analysis
Nowadays, the most popular machine tools are the conventional TC
and MC, and of these the MC has considerable versatility. Such a ver-
satility observed in the MC crucially appeals to the urgent necessity of

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