Guideways ensure that machine tool elements carrying workpieces or cutting tools move along predetermined paths that are either straight or circular. The major requirements for guideways are high accuracy, surface finish, and travel of guideway surfaces to minimize deviation from the path. Guideways must also be durable, have low friction, maintain consistent friction, be rigid, and dampen forces well. Guideways are classified as those with sliding friction called slide ways or those with rolling friction called anti-friction ways.
Guideways ensure that machine tool elements carrying workpieces or cutting tools move along predetermined paths that are either straight or circular. The major requirements for guideways are high accuracy, surface finish, and travel of guideway surfaces to minimize deviation from the path. Guideways must also be durable, have low friction, maintain consistent friction, be rigid, and dampen forces well. Guideways are classified as those with sliding friction called slide ways or those with rolling friction called anti-friction ways.
Guideways ensure that machine tool elements carrying workpieces or cutting tools move along predetermined paths that are either straight or circular. The major requirements for guideways are high accuracy, surface finish, and travel of guideway surfaces to minimize deviation from the path. Guideways must also be durable, have low friction, maintain consistent friction, be rigid, and dampen forces well. Guideways are classified as those with sliding friction called slide ways or those with rolling friction called anti-friction ways.
The basic function of guideways is to ensure that the machine tool operation element carrying the workpiece or cutting tool moves along a predetermined path which is generally a straight line as in lathe, drilling, boring machines etc. or circular as in vertical turret lathe and boring mills. The major requirements that the guideways must satisfy are: 1) High accuracy and surface finish of guideways surface. 2) High accuracy of travel which is possible only when the deviation of the actual path of travel of the operative element from the predetermined path is minimum. 3) Durability which depend upon the ability of guideways, to retain the initial accuracy of manufacturing and travel. 4) Low value of frictional forces acting on the guideways surface to ensure less wear. 5) Minimum possible variation of the coefficient of friction. 6) High rigidity. 7) Good damping properties. Surface of the guideways and operate element. Guideways can be classified as: 1) Guideways with sliding friction known as slide ways. 2) Guideways with rolling friction known as anti-friction ways.