DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A UHS

SPINDLE BEARING SYSTEM

CONTENTS
• Introduction
• Historical review
• Principal setup
• Spindle analysis
• Mechanical design and components
• Sensor integration/condition monitoring
• Mechatronic concepts
• Conclusions
• References
INTRODUCTION

• Machine tool spindles basically fulfill two tasks:

1. Rotate the tools (drilling, milling and grinding) or work piece (turning) precisely in space.
2. Transmit the required energy to the cutting zone for metal removal.

• Obviously spindles have a strong influence on metal removal rates and quality of the
machined parts.

• Among all the components of the machine tools, the spindle is the most critical part, since
its dynamic properties directly affect the cutting ability of the whole machine tool.
HISTORICAL REVIEW

• Classically, main spindles were driven by belts or gears.

• Later simple electrical or hydraulic controllers were developed and the rotational speed
of the spindle could be changed.

• The need for increased productivity led to higher speed machining requirements which
led to the development of new bearings, power electronics and inverter systems.

• Through the early 1980’s high spindle speeds were achievable only by using active
magnetic bearings.

• Continuous developments in bearings, lubrication, the rolling element materials and

drive systems (motors and converters) have allowed the construction of direct drive
motor spindles.
PRINCIPAL SETUP
• Today, the overwhelming majority of machine tools are equipped with motorized
spindles.

• The motorized spindles do not require mechanical transmission elements like

gears and couplings.

• The spindles have at least two sets of mainly ball bearing systems.

• The bearing system is the component with the greatest influence on the lifetime
of a spindle.

• Due to high ratio of ‘power to volume’ active cooling is often required.

• Which is generally implemented through water based cooling.

• Seals at the tool end of the spindle prevent the intrusion of chips and cutting
fluid.

• A standardized tool interface such as HSK and SK is placed at the spindles front
end.

• A clamping system is used for fast automatic tool changes.

• Today, nearly every spindle is equipped with sensors for monitoring

The motor temperature.
2. The position of the clamping system.

• Additional sensors for monitoring:

• The bearings, the drive and the process stability.
 FIELDS OF APPLICATION AND SPECIFIC DEMANDS

• Spindles are developed and manufactured for a wide range of machine tool
applications.
• A common goal of maximizing the MRR and part machining accuracy.
SPINDLE ANALYSIS

• The aim of modelling and analysis of spindle units is:-

• Simulate the performance of the spindle and optimize its dimensions during the
design stage.
• To achieve maximum dynamic stiffness and increased material removal rate with
minimal dimensions and power consumption.

• The mechanical part of the spindle assembly consists of :-

• Hollow spindle shaft mounted to a housing with bearings.

• Angular contact ball bearings are most commonly used in high-speed spindles.
• Due to their low-friction properties and ability to withstand external loads in both
axial and radial directions.
• The spindle shaft is modelled by beam, brick or pipe elements in finite
element environment.

• The bearing stiffness is modelled as a function of ball bearing contact angle,

preload caused by the external load or thermal expansion of the spindle during
operation.

• The equation of motion is derived in matrix form :-

• By including gyroscopic and centrifugal effects.

• And solved to obtain :-

• Natural frequencies
• Vibration mode shapes
• Frequency response function at the tool attached to the spindle.
Flowchart of spindle analysis.
EXPERIMENTAL MODELING
• The dynamic behaviour of an existing spindle is most quickly obtained by measuring its
frequency response function (FRF) between force and displacement at the tool tip.

• The measured FRF can be curve fitted to estimate

The natural frequencies,
Damping ratios and stiffness values at a range of frequency
• where the spindle structure may cause vibrations during machining.
THEORETICAL MODELING
• Theoretical models are based on physical laws, and used to predict and
improve the performance of spindles during the design stage.

• The models provide mathematical relation between :-

• inputs F (force, speed)
• the outputs q (deflections, bearing loads, and temperature).

• The mathematical models can be expressed by a set of ordinary differential

equations.

• In both cases linear or nonlinear behaviour of the spindles can be modeled.

MECHANICAL MODELING OF SHAFT AND HOUSING
• Finite element methods (FEM) are most commonly used to model structural
mechanics and dynamics of the spindles.

• The method is based on discretization of the structure at finite element

locations by partial derivative differential equations.

• The analysis belongs to the class of rotor-dynamic studies :-

• where the axis-symmetric shaft is usually modeled by beam elements,
• which lead to construction of mass (Me) and stiffness (Ke) matrices.
• Timoshenko beam element is most commonly used
• Because it considers the bending, rotary inertia and shear effects

• Hence leads to improved prediction of natural frequencies and mode shapes of

the spindle.
 • Mq¨+ (C 𝜴 𝑮)q˙+(K-𝜴𝟐 𝑴𝜴 +𝜴𝑪𝜴 )q = F
• Where:
• q= is the generalized displacement vector which includes the movement of all
nodes in the chosen degrees of freedom.
• The reference frame of the vector q can be fixed to the rotating shaft of the
spindle or be an inertial frame fixed to space.
• The symmetric matrices M and K are assembled out of the single element
matrices Me and Ke.
• These matrices are independent of the chosen reference frame.
• The stiffness matrix KB of the bearing support is also added in K.
• The symmetric matrix C is also independent of the chosen reference frame and
contains structural damping of the shaft (rotating) and the damping of the
housing (non-rotating).
REFERENCES

• E. Abele, Y. Altintas, C. Brecher, “Machine tool spindle units”, CIRP Annals -

Manufacturing Technology 59 (2010) 781- 802 Institute of Production Management,
Technology and Machine Tools (PTW), Technische Universita¨t Darmstadt, Germany
Manufacturing Automation Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
Canada, Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), RWTH
Aachen, Germany.
• Hat Y, Qin Y, Baelendra R, Jiang Q, “FE Analysis of a Novel Roller Form: a Deep end
cavity roller for roller type bearings”. Journal of Materials Processing Technology
145:233–241 (2004).
THANK YOU