Materials for Machine Tool Structures

A review is made of the most common machine tool structural materials Their properties are compared, including modulus of elasticity, specific stiffness, damping, long term dimensional stability, coolant resistance, wear rate, frictional properties, thermal conductivity and lead time for manufacture. Also described is ‘epoxy concrete’, a new material specifi- cally developed for high precision machine tool structures, with high damping, high specific stiffness and high dimensional stability. Using patented moulding techniques, structures are finish cast to a high precision at low cost. Precision slideways can be replicated into the structure, thus eliminating the need for slideway grinding, scraping and stabilisation heat treatment, etc.. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.