Chapter 12 Machine Tool Testing Measuring instruments used for testing * Test procedures * Acceptance testsIntroduction The surface of components produced by the machining processes is mostly by generation. As a result, the quality of surface produced depends upon the accuracy of the various movements of the machine tool concerned. It therefore becomes important to know the capability of the machine tool by evaluating the accuracy of the various mechanisms that are directly responsible for generating the surface. For this purpose, a large variety of tests have been designed.Measuring instruments r — Dial indicator Test mandrels Straight edges Spirit levelsTest procedures (a) Testing the quality of the slideways and the locating surfaces, (b) Testing the accuracy of the main spindle and _ its alignment with respect to other parts of the machine tool, and (c) The accuracy of the parts produced by the machine tool.Acceptance tests @ Quality of slideways @ Accuracy of spindle > True running of the centre > True running of the spindle > Squareness of the face Test setup for the squareness of the face shoulder ina latheAcceptance tests = Alignment tests > Spindle alignment » Parallelism and perpendicularity > Other testsAcceptance tests = Alignment tests > Other tests—for lathes (a) (b) (c) (d) Parallelism between the outside diameter of the tail stock sleeve and the slideways. Parallelism between the tail stock sleeve taper and the slideways by mounting the test mandrel into the tail stock sleeve. Parallelism between the lead screw axis and the slideways by mounting the dial indicator directly on the lead screw. Parallelism between the line of centres and the slideways.Acceptance tests = Alignment tests > Other tests—for milling machine (a) (b) (c) (d) Parallelism between the table and the spindle axis. Parallelism between the table surface and the longitudinal movement of the table. Parallelism between the spindle axis and the transverse movement of the table. Perpendicularity between the spindle and the vertical column ways by moving the knee.Acceptance tests = Alignment tests > Other tests—for radial drilling machines (a) Parallelism between the drilling head slideways and the base plate. (b) Perpendicularity between the spindle axis and the base plate. (c) Perpendicularity between the feed movement and the base plate.