EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE FOR EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF STATIC RIGIDITY OF ENGINE LATHES

As machining precision and productivity in a technological manufacturing system (TMS) depend on system rigidity, it is necessary to establish TMS rigidity accurately. This can be done with rigid test bars that do not influence TMS rigidity measurements. The test bars can be used for measuring rigidity of any machine tool or subassembly of a machine. This paper presents experimental equipment and procedure for determination of static rigidity of an engine lathe. Planar and spatial test forces were applied and corresponding deformations of different lathe’s subassemblies were measured. Obtained data can be used afterwards to assess the suitability of TMS for machining steps of different quality and to estimate the influence of TMS deformations on the accuracy of machined parts. Key words: engine lathe, rigidity measurement, experimental equipment, test bar.