Coupled tribo-dynamic modelling of linear guideways for high precision machining application

Linear guideways play a crucial role in determining precision of machine tools. Understanding their dynamic response is essential for objectively controlling their behavior and performance in operation. Due to highly loaded lubricated contacts, mixed-elastohydrodynamic regime is dominant. The mixed-elastohydrodynamic film maintains the coupling between horizontal degree of freedom (feed velocity) and vertical degree of freedom (loading direction). This paper presents a novel tribo-dynamic solution for linear guideways, taking in to account the lubricant effects and coupling between horizontal and vertical degrees of freedom. An analytical tribology model is used implicitly within the dynamic model. For in-depth tribological quantities including pressure and film thickness distribution, an explicit full numerical solution for mixed-elastohydrodynamic is utilized. Results show that the coupled solution of vertical and horizontal degrees of freedom taking in to account lubricated contacts is essential. It is shown that at moderate and light loads, the effect of this coupling and presence of lubricant is more pronounced.