Integration of Flexible Multibody Systems Dynamics and Virtual Commissioning Simulations of a Machine Tool

The digitalization of production processes is a crucial aspect of Industry 4.0, where digital simulations are increasingly utilized to develop and test new ideas to enhance competitiveness in the marketplace. Digital Twins, which replicate the functioning of complex devices, machines, and industrial plants, can optimize mechanical design, virtual implementation of control procedures, real-time operations management, and in-service failure predictions. The application of Digital Twins for elastodynamic simulations can be highly relevant in the field of machine tools, which are often susceptible to vibrations and dynamic loads that can adversely affect their operative performance. Such simulations can help to optimize mechanical design and properly tune control programs to enhance machining precision and guarantee high quality standards. Another potential application of Digital Twins is Virtual Commissioning that enables part programs verification on virtual machine models, regardless of the availability of the physical systems (differently from the traditional procedures of control testing), thereby minimizing the occurrence of critical issues in working conditions. The combination of advanced simulations of mechanical phenomena and part program virtual verification is supposed to provide a comprehensive approach for overall analysis, design optimization, and working efficient management of automatic machines. Nowadays, to achieve such a goals, a number of challenging tasks must be afforded step by step. This paper focuses on the development of a flexible multibody model of a machine tool to analyze its mechanical behavior and dynamic response under different operating conditions. The model predicts the elastodynamic behavior of the machine at high speeds, taking into account the compliance of flexible parts and contacts. The simulation results are to be subsequently implemented in a Virtual Commissioning software environment for an integrated virtualization of the mechatronic system.