Telescopic covers are components which can have a potentially large impact on machine tool feed drive capabilities. Generally speaking, frictional force modelling is a well-established field of interest in which many approaches and challenges have been identified. This paper addresses frictional force modelling of machine tool feed drive telescopic covers. A sequential assembly approach and control system data acquisition are used for friction model parameter estimation and verification. Models of telescopic covers may be used in virtual machine tools. Furthermore, feed drive accuracy and dynamics may be enhanced by compensation of frictional forces in the control system. Other possible applications include component commissioning during machine tool assembly and predictive maintenance.
