Relationship Between Fluid Properties and Bearing Stiffness in Water Hydrostatic Bearing

Abstract

Hydrostatic bearings are important elements that directly affect machining accuracy in machine tools. Although hydrostatic bearings using water can reduce environmental influence compared with those using oil, they have low rigidity and damping properties. By investigating the properties of water used for working fluid of hydrostatic bearings, there is a possibility that the characteristics of hydrostatic bearings using water can be improved. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between the properties of water used as a working fluid of hydrostatic bearings and the characteristics of bearings was investigated. For this purpose, a hydrostatic bearing characteristics evaluation system using water was constructed. The characteristics of hydrostatic bearings were examined by varying the components and temperature of water. The experimental results show that the composition and temperature of working water affect the performance of water hydrostatic bearing.