A methodology of setting module groups for the design of reconfigurable machine tools

The modular design of reconfigurable machine tools (RMTs) is the key enabling technology to reconfigurability. A systematic methodology for setting the constituent modules of RMTs is proposed in this paper. According to the structural and functional characteristics of the components that construct the machine tools, the geometry modules and the basic structure modules are generated, and on this basis, the conceptual autonomous functional modules of RMTs can be constructed. According to the reconfigurable manufacturing process planning for a part family, the optimal processing plans of a family of parts can be obtained, which include a series of processing segments. And through the generated motion-schemes of a RMT of each processing segment, the RMT configurations can be constructed from a set of the autonomous functional modules to meet the process requirements. Finally, a set of RMT modules with particular sizes and structures can be generated, which will be used to construct RMTs to accommodate required changes in existing products or parts. Taking the production of a gearbox part family as an example, the validity of the method is verified.