Modern super-precision turning centers must provide accuracy in the lower range of diamond-turning machines (cylindricity of less than 1–2 μm) and high productivity. Traditionally, diamond-turning machines have not been able to provide this because of their design limitations. However, high accuracy can be achieved if compensation of error is computed based on feedback from the results of measuring part dimensions and profiles.

There are systems that provide dimensional and sometimes profile feedback from the results of measurements performed outside the cutting envelope of a turning center (i.e., a lathe). For super-precision turning centers with relative short-duty cycles, this approach is not effective. Super-precision of a turning center offers the advantage of providing guideways to support the measuring device, as well as the performance of in-envelope measurement of part profiles and dimensions. Information obtained during this measurement can be used to compensate for errors that are correlated to variation in cutting force as a function of tool wear, as well as variation of parts-material characteristics in the batch.

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