Table of the content:

-1Introduction to machine tool joints ………………. ...Pages 2

-2Machine tool joints types …………………………. Pages 2-8

-3 Purposes of Machine tool joints ……………….……Page 9

-4joint deflection ………………………………………. Page 10

-5 the concept of the region of the joint………………...Page11

-6Loads and Fundamental Factors govering Joint Characteristics. Page 12

7- dominant factors for joint design………………..…. Pages 13-14

8- References…………………………………………………. Page 15
1 -Introduction to machine tool joints:
 What is a machine tool joint?

 Machine tool joints, also known as machine tool connections or machine

tool interfaces, are critical components in the field of manufacturing and
machining.
 These joints are the mechanisms that connect various parts of a machine
tool together, enabling the transmission of motion, power, and torque
between components such as spindles, tool holders, and workpieces.
Machine tool joints play a crucial role in ensuring the precision, efficiency,
and reliability of machining operations.

 2. Types of Machine Tool Joints:

The machine tool joint can thus be classified as shown in [Fig-1] depending on the
possibility of the relative traveling movement between the two joint surfaces in
contact. In short, the stationary, semi-stationary, and sliding joints are
representative, and each joint has a considerable number of variants.

(Figure 1)

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 1- Stationary joint
In the stationary joint, the macroscopic relative movement cannot be allowed as
literally shown in (figure 1), although the microscopic relative displacement of
less than micrometer order, i.e., microslip, can be observed. This microslip has,
in general, larger effects on the damping capacity of the stationary joint. In this
sphere, the representatives are the bolted joint and the foundation.

2-Bolted joint: There are two kinds of bolted joint in a machine tool structure:
one is for the connection of structural body components, such as the base, column,
and headstock; the other is for connecting the machine elements, such as the clutch
plate, flange, and bearing housing. With respect to the stiffness of the machine
tool, the first kind is very important and can generally be classified into the two
types shown in [Figure 2], depending upon the relative arrangement of the
longitudinal axis of the connecting bolt to that of the column.

(Figure 2)

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3-Foundation. The machine tool is, in general, installed or fixed on the factory
floor, and consequently, the static, dynamic, and thermal behavior of a machine
tool as a whole is largely influenced by the foundation.

The representative of the foundation is the leveling block of wedge type, shown
in [Figure 3].
The leveling block has, in principle, several stationary and sliding joints and
thus can be called a joint of complex type. It is furthermore notable that the
foundation shows very particular behavior under static, dynamic, and thermal
loading, which is attributed to the properties of the concrete, grout, and soil.

. (Figure 3)

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4- Sliding joint. The sliding joint as shown in figure[4] has the function of relative
traveling movement between the two bodies in contact so that the necessary form-
generating function can be realized with satisfactory machining accuracy.
In due course, the representatives are the guideway and main spindle-bearing
system. Obviously, the anti–wear resistance capability in these joints is
additionally of importance with the preferable joint characteristics.

. (Figure 4)

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5- Guideway. The guideway has a completely different feature from the bolted
joint. For instance, a machine tool structure having bolted joints is capable of being
replaced by a structure without bolted joints, a monolithic structural body
component, in certain cases of small and medium-sized machine tools. In contrast,
the guideway is necessary and inevitable to provide a machine tool with the basic
function, of form-generating movement. The guideway can, in general, be
classified into the three types shown in Fig 5, depending upon what the interfacial
layers are, the slideway with hydrodynamic lubrication, the hydrostatic guideway,
and the rolling guideway. Of these guideways, the slideway is worth actively
investigating, because it is a typical variant of flat .

[figure 5]

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6-Main spindle-bearing system
The main spindle-bearing system including the table system of the vertical turning
machine can be regarded as a special case of the sliding joint. In other words, the
guideway is for linear movement, whereas the spindle-bearing system is for
rotational movement.
The spindle-bearing system is of complicated configuration, as already shown in
Figure [6]. More specifically, the following joints can be observed.

[figure 6]

1. Stationary joints between the wall of the headstock and the bearing housing,
bearing housing and outer race of bearing, both the side surfaces of the nut and
spacer.

2. The sliding joint at gearing and the rolling joint between the roller and its races
In these joints, we can also observe some new developments in accordance with
the increasing spindle speed, i.e., higher-speed spindle system, as exemplified by

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the stepped sleeve, which is press-fitted to the main spindle and can thus render the
bearing nut useless to minimize the unbalance. In short, the spindle-bearing system
is one of the complex joints, as is the foundation.
3. Semi-stationary joint. This joint can be regarded as a variant of the stationary
or sliding joint, and a typical example is a slideway with a clamping mechanism.
The slideway behaves like the stationary joint or sliding joint depending on
whether the clamping mechanism is in working condition or not.
.

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3–Purposes of Machine tool joints :
In most principle designs of a machine tool structure, a certain form of connections
(JOINTS) between the basic structural components, such as column, bed, base,
etc., are indispensable to overcome the difficulties in manufacturing,
transportation, and provision of necessary functions. The necessities of providing
joints to the machine tool structure are as follows:
1. To solve the transportation troubles of large-size machine tools.
2. To fulfill the manufacturing requirements, such as assembly and location of
components into a whole structure, setting of power transmission mechanism and
installing electric and electronic equipment.
3. To approach the future evolution trend in producing the machine tool with wide
flexibility, for instance, a machine tool with modular construction systems.
(Building Block System).
4. Establishment of the CAD (Computer Aided Design) system for machine tool
structures. To achieve the acceptable design procedure of a machine tool,
therefore, the significant influences of its joint upon the overall stiffness and
damping stability of such a machine tool should be taken into consideration. In this
regard, except for the wear and friction problems in machine tool guideways,
machine tool engineers have not had any ideas about the important roles of the
joint in a machine tool structure till 1960. Even now, however, the objectives in a
design procedure are more or less, limited within the basic structural components.
In this respect, [Fig. 7] shows some examples of machine tool joints.

[figure 7]

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4-Joint deflection

As shown in Fig. [8], the normal joint deflection, which is given by subtracting the deflection of
an equivalent solid from that of the jointed bo, is larger than the total amount of surface
roughness in contact under certain jointed and loading conditions.
The figures illustrates the Changes of ratio λ/RT with increasing interface pressure: (a) Under
higher interface pressure and (b) under lower interface pressure

(Figure 8)

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5 - the concept of the region of the joint:
1: the region a corresponds with the sliding joint under very low interface
pressure, e.g., the slideway. In this case, the joint deflection is within the surface
roughness and may be derived from the deflection of the surface asperities
themselves; as a result, the sliding body, such as a table, can be regarded as a stiff
body with respect to the base or bed slideway.
2: The regions a and b correspond to the sliding joint under higher interface
pressure. In this case, the joint deflection may be determined by the deflection of
surface roughness and in part deformation of the surface layer of the body. The
slideway showing local deformation in its operating condition falls into this
category.
3: The region denoted by a, b, and c corresponds to the bolted joint, because its
interface pressure is higher than that of other joints, and the local deformation of
the structural body itself, e.g., warping or bedding in the body, is liable to appear.
The figure[9] illustrates the concept of the region of the joint.

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6- External Applied Loads to Be Considered and Fundamental
Factors Governing Joint Characteristics.
In the design and manufacture of the structural body component of the machine
tool, the bending and torsional loads are of great importance and should be taken
into consideration, whereas the axial load has, in general, no significant effects on
the static and dynamic behavior of the machine tool. Because the joint is regarded
as a structural body
component, in nearly all the machine tool joints, the bending and torsional loads
are important. In contrast, the axial load becomes dominant as a leading factor for
joints comparatively rarely. When the relative microslip occurs between the two
mating joint surfaces, the normal load governs the energy dissipation at the joint,
e.g., the damping capacity of the bolted joint. Although some loading conditions
for the bolted joint.
Further knowledge for this issue will be grasped by referring to the succeeding
chapters, in which the actual loading conditions are demonstrated precisely. In this
context, note that an optimum design of joints under several different kinds of the
load is very difficult at present.
In addition to the loading condition, many factors need to be considered in the
design and production procedures of the joint. Although the importance of each
influencing factor varies according to the kind of joint, in general, these factors can
be classified into the following
three categories.
1. Factors concerned with the applied load, i.e., magnitude, kind, and type of
applied load. For the dynamic load, its frequency and static preload should be
considered.
2. Factors concerned with the joint surface, i.e., physical properties of joint
material, macroscopic and microscopic topographies, machining method, surface
roughness, waviness and flatness deviation, interfacial layers (oil, plastic, and
metallic shims).
3. Factors concerned with the jointing method, i.e., size and shape of joint surface,
number of contact entities across a whole joint surface, machined-lay orientation,
size and shape of joint surroundings, and their own stiffness. In short, the relative
stiffness of joint surroundings to the joint itself is of great importance.

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7-These are the dominant factors that must be considered
when designing a joint .

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2. The deformation and vibration modes of the joint surroundings
are the leading factors in the determination of the damping capacity.
3. The structural configuration has especially large effects on the interface pressure
distribution, resulting in the differing stiffness of the joint

The following table[9] illustrates the Rates of Joint to Overall Deflections in

Machine Tools.

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References:
1-

(Modular Design for Machine Tools, 1st

Edition)
https://www.accessengineeringlibrary.com/
content/book/9780071496605/chapter/chapter5

2-Machine tool Design

Concept and methodology(Dr.Eng.Hazem
S.Elshourbagy)

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