Enhancement of Machining Accuracy Utilizing Varied Cooling Oil Volume for Machine Tool Spindle

In this study, varied cooling oil volume (VOV) control was developed for the oil coolant of a machine tool. This allows adjustment of the oil circulation flow rate in terms of the machining loads and rotational speeds of the spindle to remove the generated heat effectively from the spindle. A mathematical model of the cooling oil flow rate in terms of the rotating speed and torque of the spindle for VOV method is developed. From the thermal deformation experiments with the VOV method, the thermal deformations in both the Y-axis and Z-axis can be greatly reduced, by 70.1 % and 73.5 %, respectively, in variable rotational speed operation with a short operational period (10 minutes). Moreover, the VOV method was applied to shorten the required warm-up time of the spindle. The required warm-up time of the spindle can be shortened by 50 %, while the three axes of the spindle attain stable thermal conditions. In practical machining experiments, the machining accuracy with the VOV method can be greatly enhanced by 34 % to 62 % in comparison with the current case of constant cooling oil volume (COV). The VOV control system in the machine tool spindle can effectively reduce the thermal deformation and shorten the required warm-up time. In addition, the machining accuracy can be greatly enhanced.