Modeling of the Thermomechanical Process Effects on Machine Tool Structures

Abstract Thermally induced deviations are a key issue in the development of machine tools, especially when considering the actual trends of high performance and dry cutting. The interactions between the cutting process and the machine tool structure are significant boundary conditions for the numerical prediction of the thermomechanical machine behavior. Within this paper an approach for the holistic modeling of process effects is presented, including process heat, cutting forces and increased load on feed and main drives. The modeling approach is supported by experimental investigations on a lathe to provide empiric data for the link between cutting forces and active drive power.