Stiffness matching method for the ball screw feed drive system of machine tools

The static stiffness of machine tools plays an important role in ensuring the performance of machine tools and improving the machining accuracy. In the design stage, stiffness matching provides a theoretical basis for determining the stiffness of each component. This study proposed a stiffness matching design method for machine tools. First, the deformation model of machine tools is established on the basis of the state space model. Through force analysis, the relationships between the deformations and stiffness of each part are determined. Second, the stiffness model of the machine tool is established by combining these relationships with the deformation model. Third, the objective function is determined by performing sensitivity analysis after obtaining the stiffness range. The stiffness matching design results are obtained through multi-objective linear programming. Lastly, the stiffness simulations, theoretical model, and experimental results are analyzed. The maximum errors among the experimental, simulation, and theoretical results (18.8 % and 19.9 %) are within the acceptable range. In conclusion, the proposed method is suitable for designing ball screw feed drive systems that requires rigidity.