Special Issue Article

Advances in Mechanical Engineering

2016, Vol. 8(7) 1–14
Ó The Author(s) 2016
Design analysis of machine tool DOI: 10.1177/1687814016656533
aime.sagepub.com
structure with artificial granite
material

Tsung-Chia Chen1, Yong-Jun Chen2, Ming-Hung Hung1 and Jui-Pin Hung2

Abstract
Artificial granite material has been used for construction of the high-precision machine due to superior damping ability.
However, its lower material stiffness also lessens the application in fabrication of the machine tool. The purpose of this
study was therefore aimed to verify the structure performance of the machine tool reformed with artificial granite mate-
rial, instead of the casting iron. To gain insight into the optimized configuration of the vertical columns and spindle head
stock, the static and dynamic characteristics of the machine models with cast iron and granite composites were pre-
dicted for comparison. With this, evaluations of the machine with different design were made to examine the experi-
mental measurements on the prototype machine. According to the simulation results and experimental measurements,
the static stiffness of the machine tool reformed with granite material is comparable to the original casting machine, dif-
fered by 8% approximately. However, granite machine shows superior dynamic stiffness, about 0.5–1.3 times of the con-
ventional casting machine. This study verifies the feasibility and effectiveness in fabrication of the machine tool with the
artificial composite material and provides the improvements for further fabrications.

Keywords
Artificial granite, damping characteristics, dynamic stiffness, machine tools

Date received: 25 February 2016; accepted: 2 June 2016

Academic Editor: Stephen D Prior

Introduction with high precisions and efficiency; however, reducing

Nowadays, a variety of machine tools have been
broadly applied in different industries for fabricating
various components or products, including metal parts
for machinery, biomedical engineering, and green
industries. It is estimated that 15% of mechanical prod-
ucts in the world are produced by machine tools. To
fabricate the different mechanical parts, the majority of
machine tools are designed and developed based on the
functional considerations for industrial applications. In
the meantime, the demand for low price and high capa-
bility are urgently desired by customers facing the glo-
bal market competition. This also prompts the
manufacturer to seek innovative design of the machine
tools which can be operated at higher cutting speeds
production costs and enhancing the structure perfor-
mance of machine tools are another key issue needed
to be concerned at this moment.
Basically, the machining performance is related to
the material remove rate with high surface precision,
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of
Technology, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
2
Graduate Institute of Precision Manufacturing, National Chin-Yi
University of Technology, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
Corresponding author:
Jui-Pin Hung, Graduate Institute of Precision Manufacturing, National
Chin-Yi University of Technology, No. 57, Sec. 2, Zhongshan Rd., Taiping
Dist., Taichung 41170, Taiwan, ROC.
Email: hungjp@ncut.edu.tw

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2 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
which can further be defined in terms of the chatter-free
machining conditions of a specific cutter.1,2 The opti-
mum machining conditions without chatter can be deter-
mined from stability diagram, which is evaluated from
the frequency response function measured at the tool
point according to the stability analysis criteria.3,4
Following the machining mechanics, the machining per-
formance can thus be determined by the dynamically
interaction between the structural characteristics of
machine spindle tool system and the dynamics of the
cutting process.5,6 Based on this concept, different
approaches were developed for machine manufacturer
to follow to improve machine productivity and energy
efficiency, including the new materials7,8 and design
methodologies.9–11 Optimization criteria of the machine
tool design have been carried out by incorporating the
dynamics of machine tool with the consideration of
machining stability in process.11,12 The main compo-
nents or key modulus as well as their properties affecting
the static and dynamic characteristics of the milling tool
system have been clarified, including the machine frame
structure, linear components, feeding mechanism config-
uration, and spindle tool holder/tool modulus.13–15
Regarding the application of the variety of available
materials, machine tool structure made with candidate
materials are mainly expected to satisfy the low-cost
demands and increasing processing efficiency.16
Basically, the deformation of machine tool structures
under cutting forces and structural loads are responsi-
ble for the poor quality of products and vibration pro-
duced in operation. To improve both the static and
dynamic characteristics, the machine tool structures
should have high static stiffness and damping ability.
Generally, the static stiffness of a machine tool may be
increased using higher modulus material or more mate-
rial in the structure through the geometry design. But it
may be difficult to increase the dynamic stiffness of a
machine tool because of the poor damping properties
of the material. For most production of machine tool
structures, gray cast iron remain the primary choice
because of low cost, good damping with relatively high
strength, good machinability, and consistently achiev-
able manufacturing and processing requirements.
However, with increasing demand on high-speed
machining, and consistent machining accuracies, the
structural rigidity, thermal stability, and vibration
damping are becoming major design considerations for
construction of machine tools structure.
Consequently, some nonconventional materials such
as epoxy concrete, ceramic resin concrete, and artificial
granite have been widely adopted in machine tools.7,16
The artificial granite material, also known as polymer
concrete, is a compound material composed of different
ingredients such as synthetic resin as the binder and nat-
ural stone as the major composition. Artificial granite
possess the mechanical properties as the pouring
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forming at normal temperature, better production envi-
ronment, precise size, and smooth surfaces in fabrica-
tion. It has 50% larger heat capacity than cast iron.
Also, the good damping property enables the granite to
vibrate at the fast logarithmic decreased rate, about 5–
10 times of cast iron.17–20 Obviously, because of the
anti-vibration property, the machine tools constructed
with composite materials are expected to produce better
surface roughness and the shape accuracy of the
machined parts. For example, Chang and colleagues21,22
and Lee et al.23 used composite materials in the design
of machine tool structures in an attempt to improve
structural damping of machine tool structures. The
composite materials was constituted by adhesively
bonding glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite plates to
a cast iron structure such as the machine column or
head stock, which were experimentally verified to show
an increase in the damping ability with the range of 1.5–
5.7 times for different structure modulus and simultane-
ously reduced the structure weight with the range of
26%–34%.
To maximize the effectiveness and advantage of the
use of composite material, the modification of the
structure configuration, in addition to the material
selection, is important for enhancing the structural per-
formance. Nowadays, the finite element (FE) approach
has been recognized as an effective tool in modeling the
machine tool, which can accurately predict the dynamic
behavior of the prototype designs without physically
building any parts. This approach of designing proto-
type machines in software has been termed virtual pro-
totyping.24,25 Bustillo et al.10 proposed a strategy to
redesign and manufacture the milling head made of
aluminum alloys, in which the metal tubular conduits
were implemented by overcoming metal contraction
during manufacturing process. As demonstrated in the
experimental validation, the new prototype provides
sufficient mechanical performance and reliability. In
the study of Cho et al.26 they applied carbon/epoxy
composites and resin concrete to fabricate table-top
machine tool structure. The types of composites and
stacking sequences for fibrous composites were deter-
mined by finite element analyses (FEAs) with respect
to structural stiffness and damping capacity. The rede-
signed structure provided 36.8% weight reduction,
16% increased stiffness, and up to 3.64% higher loss
factor. In a study of 3-axis micro computer numerical
control (CNC) machining center, Kim and Chang27
fabricated two hybrid columns made of carbon epoxy
composite/aluminum hybrid structures with friction
layers. In order to clarify the effect of stacking angle
and thickness of the composites, the FE method is fur-
ther employed to analyze the static deflection due to
deadweight and the first natural frequency.
Summarizing the above researches, the advancement
of computer aided analysis technologies integrated with
Chen et al.
FE method enable various virtualization designs to be
more mature and help validate the machine models with
desired overall stiffness or minimum mass with topology
designs. The practical validation and investigation on
the structure performances and the dynamic characteris-
tics of the machine tool made of artificial granite mate-
rial are still worthy for investigated. Therefore, the aim
of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the
structure design of machine tool made with artificial
granite material. In order to gain insight into the proper
and optimized configuration of the milling machine, the
FEAs were performed to assess static and dynamic char-
acteristics of the milling machines with cast iron and
granite composites, respectively, for comparison. With
this, evaluations of the machine with different geometry
design in spindle head were made to examine the experi-
mental measurements on the prototype machine. This
can help the designer to understand the possible condi-
tions and problems before producing machine tools and
hence provide the improvements for further fabrications.
Design analysis of milling machine
Model descriptions
Figure 1(a) illustrates main components of a vertical
milling machine, including the machine base, saddle,
Figure 1. (a) Vertical milling machine, (b) milling machine made of all cast iron, and (c) milling machine designed with artificial
granite materials.
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3
working table, vertical column, and spindle head stock.
Basically, the structural modules are made of cast iron.
The machine base servers as the foundation to support
other structure components and the vertical column is
bolted on the machine base. The moving modulus, such
as the spindle head stock, saddle, and table, can be dri-
ven to move along the guide ways in longitudinal direc-
tion, respectively. The linear feeding mechanism is
constructed by linear rolling guides and ball screw and
supporting bearings.
In this study, the milling machine to be reformed is
shown in Figure 1(b). The weights of the main modulus
are 1600 kg (machine base), 970 kg (vertical column),
272 kg (spindle head stock), 320 kg (saddle), and 320 kg
(working table). But considering thermal effect from
the spindle during long-term operation, the use of arti-
ficial granite material in constructing the machine tool
structure has been regarded as a good substitute,
instead of the cast iron. Table 1 compares the basic
properties of artificial granite and cast iron materials.3
As show in Figure 1(c), the machine base, vertical col-
umn, and spindle head stock were designed with similar
exterior structure geometries and were made of artifi-
cial granite materials, having the weights of 1478 kg
(machine base), 1595 kg (vertical column), and 274 kg
(spindle head).
4 Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Figure 2. (A) Finite element model of milling machine and (B) loading and boundary conditions applied on the machine base (1)
three-point supports and (2) six-point supports.

Table 1. Material properties of artificial granite and casting

the linear guides is 1000 and 3000 N/mm in horizontal
iron. and vertical directions, respectively.29 Mechanical
properties for the structural deformable materials used
Material property Artificial granite Cast iron in the FEA are summarized in Table 1. The loading
conditions associated with analysis modes, as shown in
Density (g/cm3) 2.2–2.5 7.05–7.25
Figure 2, were given as follows:
Compressive strength (MPa) 110–130 570–1290
Tensile strength (MPa) 10–20 150–450
Bending strength (MPa) 20–30 300–500 1. Static analysis under gravity forces, without any
Young modulus (GPa) 25–35 113–157 external force;
Poisson’s ratio 0.2–0.3 0.23–0.27
Specific heat (kJ/kg K) 0.79 0.46 2. Static analysis under gravity forces and external
Thermal conductivity (W/m K) 1.7–4.0 47–80 force of 6000 N in Z direction;
Damping ratio 0.03 0.0015 3. Static analysis under external force of 6000 N
applied at the spindle head nose in X, Y, and Z
directions, respectively;
4. Harmonic analysis for the dynamic response to
FE models the force applied at the spindle head nose in X
To evaluate the structure performance of the milling and Y axial directions, respectively.
machine with different materials, the FE method was
employed to modeling the static and dynamic beha- Two different boundary conditions were, respec-
viors of the two machine models under different load- tively, imposed on the machine base, including (1)
ing conditions. The commercial FEA software code three-point supports and (2) six-point supports, as
ANSYS 12.0 was used for the modeling of the milling shown in Figure 2. These supports are the positions
machine. The FE model of machine structure is shown with anchoring bolts, which support and prohibit the
in Figure 2. Each structural component of the system machine base to move in any directions.
was meshed using 8-node hexahedron and 10-node tet- The harmonic analysis was performed to measure
rahedral element, with a total of 130,850 elements and the frequency response at the spindle head stock. In the
451,533 nodes. Regarding the linear components in the FE governing equation for harmonic analysis, the
feeding mechanism of the spindle head stock, the ball damping matrix was assumed to be proportional to the
screw was neglected, while the linear guide modulus structural stiffness matrix [K] according to the relation-
were included in the FE model since they were demon- ship [C] = b[K]. The value b represents the structural
strated to affect the mechanical behaviors of the spindle damping constant, depending on the damping proper-
heads.28 The rolling interfaces between rolling balls and ties of the material. Here, the damping constant was
raceways were simulated as surface-surface contact ele- assumed as 0.002 and 0.025 for cast iron and granite
ments with adequate contact stiffness. The rigidity of material, respectively.30

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Chen et al. 5

Figure 3. Deformation shape of milling machine under self-weight loading conditions.

Table 2. Comparisons of the predicted deformation at the spindle head nose of milling machine with different materials (loading
mode I and II) predicted deformation at the spindle head nose of milling machine under three axial force and six-point supports.

Loading conditions Supports Deformation (mm)

Model II granite material Model I cast iron
x y z x y z

Self-weight Six points 21 237 2147 21 239 2148

Three points 24 274 2191 24 276 2192
Self-weight + vertical force (6000 N) six points 22 221 221 22 218 218
three points 25 251 255 25 248 252

Analysis results
For a clear comparison of the structure performance of
the milling machine formed with different materials,
the static stiffness and dynamic stiffness at the head
stock in each loading direction are measured according
to the static and harmonic analysis results under differ-
ent loading conditions.
Case I. Figure 3 illustrates the deformations of the milling
machines under the self-weight. It can be found from the
figure that the head stock associated with the vertical col-
umn was deflected greatly by the bending moment due to
the overhang weight of these components. The maximum
deformations in the three axial directions of the two dif-
ferent machine models under different constraints are
listed in Table 2, which reveals that the deflections of the
spindle head stock with granite material are close to those
of cast iron model, irrespective of constraints imposed on
the machine bases. For machine with six-point supports,
the rotational bending stiffness of the spindle head stock
against the rotation about X axis is predicted as
9.85 3 106 and 8.96 3 106 N m/rad for original and
reformed machine model, respectively. The static stiffness
for original and reformed machines under three-point
supports is reduced by 23% due to less constraints on the
machine bases.
Case II. The deformations of the spindle nose of milling
machine under self-gravity force and external force
applied in Z axis are listed in Table 2. In this case, the
applied force is opposite to the gravity force. Therefore,
the milling machine shows a smaller deformation than

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6 Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Figure 4. Deformation shape of milling machine under external forces: (a) deformation of milling machine under lateral force along
X axis and (b) deformation of milling machine under vertical force along Z axis.

Table 3. Comparisons of the predicted deformation at the spindle head nose of milling machine with different materials (loading
mode III).

Loading direction Supports Deformation (mm)

Model II granite material Model I cast iron
x y z x y z

X axis Six points 2147 235 277 2134 236 278

Three points 2164 249 290 2151 250 292
Y axis Six points 5 67 263 6 59 258
Three points 5 61 270 6 54 265
Z axis Six points 21 21 53 21 3 54
Three points 21 28 46 21 25 48

that under the first loading case. As indicated in Table
2, the Z-axial static stiffness of the original cast iron
model and granite model with six-point supports are
estimated approximately 330 and 286 N/mm, respec-
tively. The static stiffness for original and reformed
machines under three-point supports is 115 and 109
N/mm, respectively.
Case III. Figure 4 illustrates the deformations of the dif-
ferent milling machines under the specific loading con-
ditions. As observed, the head stock is greatly deformed
due to twisting effects of the force that is applied at the
bottom of spindle head stock. When a vertical force is
applied at the bottom of spindle head stock, the head
stock is bent upward and partly constrained by the lin-
ear guides on vertical column. The predicted deforma-
tions at the spindle nose of the milling machine under
three-point and six-point supporters are listed in Table
3. For machine bases constrained at six points, the sta-
tic stiffness of original model in X, Y, and Z directions
is calculated as 44.7, 102, and 111 N/mm, respectively
and the static stiffness of model reformed with granite
material is 40.8, 89.5, and 113.2 N/mm in X, Y, and Z
directions, respectively. For machine bases under three-
point supports, the static stiffness of original model in
X, Y, and Z directions is 39.7, 111, and 125 N/mm,
respectively, and the static stiffness of granite model is
36.5, 98.4, and 130 N/mm in X, Y, and Z directions,
respectively. Concluding this analysis, it can be found
that the static stiffness of the machine model with gran-
ite material is comparable to that of the machine with
cast iron material.
Frequency response functions. The dynamic performances
reflect structure’s resistance to vibration. Therefore,
modal analysis was performed to determine the first
four fundamental vibration modes, as shown in
Figure 5, which is predicted for the model with granite
material. The first vibration modes at 53 Hz is forward
bending motion of the spindle head stock associated
with vertical column along Y-Z plane; the second mode
at 75 Hz is the lateral bending of column along X-Z

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Chen et al.
Figure 5. Fundamental vibration mode shapes of a milling machine.
plane, accompanied with the twisting of the spindle
head about Y axis; the third mode occurs at 115 Hz,
which is the twisting motion of the spindle head stock
associated with vertical column about Z axis; the
fourth mode occurs at 172 Hz, being the backward
bending motion of the spindle head stock associated
with vertical column along Y-Z plane. Machine model
with cast gray iron also shows similar vibration beha-
viors at higher frequencies because of its high material
stiffness. The corresponding four natural frequencies
are 85, 108, 168, and 195 Hz, respectively.
Figure 6 illustrates the predicted frequency response
at the end of spindle head of the milling machine in X
and Y directions, respectively, which are expressed in
terms of dynamic compliance in magnitude as a func-
tion of the frequency. As observed in the figure, for
milling machine designed with granite material, the
maximum compliance in X and Y direction is
0.185 mm/N (115 Hz) and 0.085 mm/N (55 Hz),
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7
respectively. For milling machine designed with cast
iron, the maximum compliance in X and Y direction is
0.275 mm/N (110 Hz) and 0.198 mm/N (195 Hz), respec-
tively. The minimum dynamic stiffness in X and Y axis
is 5.45 and 11.8 N/mm for granite model. The corre-
sponding values for casting model are 3.63 and 5.05 N/
mm. Overall, the milling machine with granite material
shows a superior dynamic structure performance than
the conventional casting machine.
As shown in Figure 3, the significant deformation of
the spindle head stock is partly contributed by the
deformation of the structure components including ver-
tical column and head stock and partly by the deforma-
tion or displacement at the sliding guides which are
used to mount the head stock on the guide rails on ver-
tical column. In this analysis, the two different machine
models are equipped with the same linear guide compo-
nents and hence the structure material plays an impor-
tant role in determining the structure rigidity. From
8 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
Figure 6. Comparisons of the frequency response functions at
head sock of milling machines with different materials.
these analysis and comparisons, we can find that the
milling machine made of the traditional cast iron shows
higher structure rigidity than the machine made of the
artificial granite. However, considering the desired
requirement for high-precision machining, the dynamic
characteristics with higher damping ability is more
important. From the dynamic analysis of the whole
machine, we can find that the machine designed with
granite shows superior dynamic stiffness at the domi-
nant vibration modes, which indeed is more appropri-
ate for milling machine with better structural
performance.
Figure 7. (a) Spindle head stocks with different stiffened ribs and (b) finite element model and boundary condition.
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Design analysis of spindle head
Model description of spindle head stock
Following the analysis results of the whole milling
machine, we can find that the use of the artificial gran-
ite material in construction of the machine frame
enables the milling machine behaving better dynamic
characteristics. Besides, because of the better thermal
characteristics and damping ability, in this study, the
artificial granite material was used for the main modu-
lus of the machine frame. Moreover, considering the
requirement of the low-motion inertia and the structure
rigidity, the spindle head stock was still made of the
cast iron. However, the structure geometry of the spin-
dle head was concerned to enhance the stiffness with
reduction of the weight. Therefore, in this section, this
study proposed a series of different redesigned head
stocks, and their structure characteristics were exam-
ined in terms of the static analysis.
Figure 7 shows the original and redesigned casting
spindle head stock. Based on the original one, the other
four spindle head stocks were designed by adding stif-
fened ribs of different thickness on the outer housing
with attempt to enhance the structure rigidity. The FE
model of the spindle head stock is shown in Figure 7,
which is meshed using 8-node hexahedron and 10-node
tetrahedral element, with a total of 15,042 elements and
46,060 nodes. Also, in this analysis, in order to clarify
the influence of the added ribs, the static analysis was
performed on the individual spindle stock model, which
was isolated from the vertical column. Therefore, the
stock models were constrained at the locations where
the linear guide modulus and ball nut were mounted. A
force was applied at the head nose in X direction
(Figure 7). Again, the deformed amounts of the spindle
heads were assessed for comparisons.
Chen et al. 9

Table 4. Comparisons of the maximum deformations of the different spindle head stock.

Spindle head stock model Weight (kg) Deformation at spindle head nose (mm)
x y z

Original model I 272 229 8 212

Stiffened model II 308 222 6 211
Stiffened model III 298 223 6 27
Stiffened model IV 297 224 6 29
Stiffened model V 308 221 5 29

Table 5. Comparisons of the maximum deformations of the whole milling machine with different spindle head stock.

Machine model Weight (kg) Deformation at spindle head nose (mm)

X Y Z

With original spindle stock 1590 2134 236 278

With stiffened stock model II 1696 2126 234 276
With stiffened stock model V 1692 289 221 276

Analysis results
Table 4 compares the deformation at the head nose of
the different spindle head stock models under the force
applied in X direction. It is found that the second and
fifth stock models show least deformation of the spindle
head in X direction, which is equivalent to the axial stiff-
ness of 286 N/mm, approximately. Compared with the
original model, the stiffness is increased by about 36%
due to the stiffened rib added on the head stock, but the
weight only increased by 13%. Therefore, the second
and fifth stock modes were the candidates for further
analysis in application on the whole machine model.
Machine model with different spindle head stocks
In this section, the candidates of the stiffened stock
models were installed on the vertical milling machine
model through the linear guide modulus, in which the
linear guide modulus were simulated in the same way as
stated in section ‘‘FE models.’’ With these machine
models, the structural characteristics were examined
again to clarify the influence of the geometry design of
the head stock on their structure performances. The dif-
ferent machine models are shown in Figure 8. In FEA,
the structure modulus such as machine base and vertical
column are made of artificial granite, in addition to the
spindle head stock which is made of cast iron. Again,
the machine base of the models was constrained at the
six-point supports, as described in section ‘‘FE models.’’
A cutting force of 6000 N was applied at the spindle
head nose in X direction.
Analysis results
Table 5 compares the deformation at the head nose of
the different machine with different spindle head stock
under the force applied in X direction. For the three
models, the static stiffness in X direction was examined
because the machine is weaker in X direction than in Y
and Z directions. The stiffness is estimated as 44.7,
47.6, and 67.4 N/mm, respectively. It is obvious that the
third machine modeled with more stiffened ribs on
head stock shows highest structure rigidity. Compared
with the original one, the structure stiffness of the fifth
redesigned head is increased by 50%, only 6% incre-
ment in the weight of the machine. Therefore, the fifth
stock mode was the final selection for fabrication of
the whole machine model.
Verification of machine prototype
In order to meet quality requirements, the examinations
of the geometry precision and alignment of machine
tools are essential. The geometric accuracy of assem-
bled structural modulus is the basis for milling machine
being able to produce parts with required precision.
Therefore, for verifying the feasibility of the use of arti-
ficial granite in construction of milling machine, we fab-
ricated the prototype according to the design model
proposed in section ‘‘Design analysis of spindle head,’’
as shown in Figure 9. Using this machine prototype,
the assemblage precisions were first examined for fol-
lowing tests.
Geometry accuracy measurement
Following the accuracy examination standards, we con-
ducted the essential examination to ensure the assem-
blage precision and structure rigidity can satisfy the
requirement of the machine product.
X-Y table flatness. The geometry precision was
first examined by measuring the dynamic level of

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10 Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Figure 8. (a) Whole milling machine with different stiffened head stock ribs and (b) finite element model.

Figure 9. (a) Solid model of milling machine and (b) prototype made of artificial granite.

working table on X-Y plane using two engineer spirit levels (precision = 0.02 mm/M). The measured
levels. Figure 10 shows the measuring positions of precisions were listed in Table 6, which shows
spirit levels on working table. There are nine points the dynamic levels are within the standard of
to be measured in X and Y directions with two spirit 0.06 mm/M.

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Chen et al. 11

Table 7. Parallelism and perpendicularity of the spindle tool

with respect to the working table.

Type Measuring First Second

direction measurement measurement
(mm) (mm)

X-Y x/x 0.002/300 0.001/300

parallelism y/y 0.001/300 0.001/300
X-Y x/y 0.007/300 0.006/300
perpendicularity z/y 0.06/300 0.062/300
z/x 0.004/300 0.004/300

the variation of displacements of spindle head in X, Y,

and Z axes. The displacement sensor is a type of eddy
current displacement meter with a resolution of 0.1 mm
Figure 10. Schematic diagram of measuring positions of
working table.
and measuring range of 2 mm. Besides, two tempera-
ture sensors (accuracy 6 0.15 °C, range: 30°C–350°C)
were, respectively, mounted on vertical column and
machine base to measure temperature variation of the
Table 6. Measured dynamic levels of working table (0.02 mm/m). column and environment. Figure 12 shows the thermal
deformation history varying with the time. A shown in
Position in Y axis Position in X axis
the figure, the variation in X axis ranges from + 4 to
Left Middle Right + 7 mm, variation in Y axis ranges from 21.5 to 3 mm,
and 2.5 to 12.5 mm for Z axis. The temperature varia-
Y+ ! 2.5 ! 1.5 !2
#2.5 # 2.5 # 2.5 tions of the vertical column and environment are
Middle of Y ! 2.5 ! 1.5 !2 0.7°C and 2.83°C, respectively. It is noted that the
" 0.5 "1 " 1.5 displacement variation in Z axis is more significant
Y2 !2 ! 1.5 ! 2.5 than those in other axis. However, the stability is
" 1.5 " 1.5 "1
within acceptable range.
The arrow (!) with number indicates the bubble direction and position
in measurement.
Dynamic characteristics
The dynamic response and natural frequency of the
Parallelism and perpendicularity of spindle axis. The geo- machine base were measured by vibration tests, which
metric accuracy test was carried out using dial gauge are recorded with an impact hammer and an acceler-
indicator and square gage following the ISO standard ometer. Three machine bases made of different struc-
10791. The examinations include (1) the parallelism tural materials are measured for comparing their
between the spindle axis, (2) the vertical displacement dynamic characteristics. The three machine bases were
in vertical XZ and YZ plane, and (3) perpendicularity made of all cast iron, all artificial granite and steel filled
between spindle axis and X axis in XZ and YZ plane. with granite materials. The frequency responses mea-
The results were listed in Table 7. sured in vibration test are illustrated in Figure 13,
which are expressed in terms of compliance as a func-
tion of the frequency. From the frequency response, the
Measurement of thermal displacement natural frequencies and the dynamic stiffness associated
The non-contact displacement meter was used to mea- with the dominant vibration modes were evaluated.
sure the variation of displacement in X, Y, and Z axis According to Figure 13, it can be found that the all
with time under environment conditions. The spindle casting iron machine base behaves four fundamental
head is served as the measuring point to examine the vibration modes at natural frequencies of 196, 316, 395,
displacement variations in the three axial directions. and 450 Hz, respectively. The machine base composed
Through this examination, it can be understood about of granite and steel shows two fundamental modes with
the variations of displacement caused by temperature natural frequencies of 315 and 420 Hz. The machine
variations. Figure 11 shows the measurement config- base made of all granite shows two vibration modes
urations, in which three displacement sensors were, with natural frequencies of 338 and 475 Hz. The maxi-
respectively, mounted on the working table to measure mum compliances of the three machine base are

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12
Figure 11. Configuration for measuring thermal deformations in three axes.
Figure 12. Time history of the axial variation of thermal
deformation.
Figure 13. Comparisons of the frequency responses of the
machine bases with different structure materials.
4.2 mm/kN (at 196 Hz), 0.84 mm/kN (at 338 Hz), and
2.0 mm/kN (at 316 Hz) for structural material of cast
iron, granite, and composition of granite and steel,
respectively. From this comparison, it is apparent that
the machine base made of all granite material shows
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Advances in Mechanical Engineering
highest dynamic stiffness than those of the machines
made of other materials. This can be ascribed that the
granite material has a better damping characteristics to
resist the vibration, as stated previously, which also can
be a major contribution to the high dynamic stiffness
or lower compliance of the machine base. Current
results also show that the use of artificial granite mate-
rial can benefit more in the dynamic characteristics of
the milling machine.
Conclusion
This study presented the investigations on the structure
design of the machine tools made of artificial granite
material through the FE approach. A prototype
machine was further fabricated for experiment to real-
ize the feasibility of granite material in construction of
the machine tool.
Results of static analysis show that the static stiffness
of the machine model with granite material is compara-
ble to that of the machine with cast iron material.
Furthermore, according to the harmonic analysis, the
minimum dynamic stiffness of the granite model is
higher than that of casting machine, about 0.5–1.3
times. Overall, the milling machine with granite mate-
rial shows a superior dynamic structure performance
than the conventional casting machine. Regarding the
moving component, the structure stiffness of the casting
head stock redesigned with stiffened ribs is increased by
50%, only 6% increment of the weight. Experimental
investigation on the prototype made of artificial granite
also shows the great thermal stability in the three axis
feeding mechanism. The vibration tests of the machine
bases indicate that the maximum compliances of the
machines are 4.2 mm/kN (at 196 Hz), 0.84 mm/kN (at
338 Hz), and 1.65 mm/kN (at 316 Hz) for structural
Chen et al.
material of cast iron, granite, and composition of gran-
ite and steel, respectively. This also verifies the superior-
ity of the anti-vibration ability of the granite material.
As a conclusion of the investigation, an appropriate
redesign of the machine frame structure is a prerequisite
when attempting to take benefit from the use of artifi-
cial granite material, instead of the conventional casting
iron. In future work toward an innovative design of
machine tool with alternative materials, the redesign
work can be fulfilled in an effective way through FE
techniques, in which the interactive effects of the
dynamic behaviors of the physical spindle tool module
and machine frame structure should be taken into con-
siderations in the evaluation machining performance.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the assistance of Quaser Machine Tools
Inc. and Precision Machinery Research & Development
Center (PMC) in the completion of this study.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with
respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this
article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research,
authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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