Roundness error evaluation based on polar mesh searching algorithm

A new method for evaluating roundness error using polar measurement data, which named as polar mesh searching algorithm (PMSA), has been presented in this paper. The principle of the algorithm was that series of polar-coordinate mesh points were collocated around the periphery of the least square circle according to certain rule, the radius of all the measured points were calculated by regarding each mesh point as the ideal center, and the roundness error from minimum circumscribed circle method, maximum inscribed circle method and minimum zone circle method were achieved accurately through comparing these radius. In the paper, the process and steps using the PMSA to solve the roundness error were described in detail and the mathematical formula and program flowchart were given. The simulation and experiment results show that roundness error can be evaluated effectually and accurately by this algorithm.