Cutting Fluid Influence on Thermal Behavior of 5-axis Machine Tools

Thermally induced errors on machine tools are one of the most important error sources in precision machining. Up to 75% of the overall geometrical errors on workpieces are caused by thermal errors of the machine tool [1]. The work presented in this paper deals with the differences in the thermal behavior of machine tools for dry or wet cutting. It is shown, that the thermal error is enlarged on the machine tool under investigation with cutting fluid. Large differences can also be seen if the cutting fluid is used for a dynamic changing load case. Here, the cutting fluid has a “damping” effect on certain thermal resonance frequency of the machine tool. It is discussed how cutting fluid is influencing the chosen machining strategies for precise workpieces.