Evaluation of an Automated Online-Quality Assurance Framework for CNC-Machined Workpieces via Point Cloud Comparison Techniques

The increasing digitization of manufacturing systems demands new strategies for quality assurance during the operational phase of computer numerically control (CNC) machines. This paper presents a novel approach to online-quality assurance using operational-parallel real-time simulation and point cloud comparison techniques. During machining, a real-time simulation generates a virtual representation of the manufactured workpiece, reflecting the actual position values and process conditions. This simulated point cloud is then compared directly to the nominal CAD model to detect geometric deviations early in the production process. Unlike conventional approaches relying on post-process optical measurements, this method enables in-process evaluation without interrupting operations. It supports fast, non-invasive quality assessment and facilitates adaptive process control. The work presented in this study presents an evaluation of different point cloud comparison methods for an online-quality assurance framework.