GRINDING
A Weldon Machine Tool
Out of the lab and
into the shop
Some next-
generation thinking from
academia improves the
damping and way systems
of grinding machines.
Diane L. Hallum, assoc. editor
echnical innovations are
T playing an important role
in updating a CNC cylin-
drical grinder built by Wel-
don Machine Tool Inc. The
firm partnered with Prof. Alexander
Slocum, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, to incorporate his novel
viscous-shear damper and hydro-
static bearing ways into an CNC cy-
lindrical grinder originally intro-
duced in the late 1970s.
The damper controls vibration by
shear of a viscoelastic layer within
the composite base construction.
Longitudinal hollow sections, inter-
nal tubes, damping tape, and epoxy
deliver amplitude-to-resonance val-
AMERICAN MACHINIST
ues better
than that of cast-iron
or concrete-filled bases.
Coolant, delivered through the
tubes, can also prevent temperature
differentials from warping the bed
and ways.
Similarly clever are the hydro-
static bearings. Design considera-
tions let the machine use water and
even grinding fluid as a lubricant.
The guides also do not need expen-
sive machining, yet they provide
precise movement while handling
high-speed direction changes.
Leaving concrete behind
Polymer concrete and granite
bases have poor modulus and heat-
transfer characteristics. Thermal
variations within a cast-iron, con-
crete-filled, or polymer-concrete
base can cause bowing of the way
surfaces, producing inaccuracies in
machined workpieces. Researching
alternative base designs that mini-
mize thermal effects, Dr. Slocum
and Weldon Machine Tools devel-
oped the viscous-shear system.
The base is a composite structure.
The main structure requires
roughly formed longitudinal holes.
Holes can be of any shape that max-
imize the interior cross-sectional
00 OCTOBER 1994
employee tightens
down the wheelhead
rails to the viscous-
shear-damping base
of a CNC cylindrical
grinder.
perime-
ter, such as
low-cost square shapes, and ideally
take up most of the interior of the
structure. Tubes, with diameters 3
to 5 mm smaller than the holes, sus-
pend inside the longitudinal holes.
Before installing, high-loss damping
polymer tape called ScotchDamp is
wrapped around the tubes. An
epoxy is then injected around the
suspended tubes to fill voids be-
tween the viscoelastic film of the
tape and the machine structure.
The epoxy is VibraDamp, a 100%
solids two-component polymer
specifically designed for shear
dampers. After hardening of the
epoxy, the structure is ready for use.
Shear damps any frequency
Common approaches to machine
damping have drawbacks. Con-
strained layer dampers have exte-
rior plates that can delaminate un-
der loads, diminishing their
damping ability. These can also in-
terfere with placement of external
components on the base. A tuned
(1) Epoxy. Injected around the tubes to create a tight bond between the square tubes and base. It impact resistance
transmits shock loads and vibrations at all frequencies from the base structure to the
viscoelastic polymer tape. and high compressive strength and
(2) A high-loss damping viscoelastic polymer tape wrapped around the internal tubes. Relative delivers excellent damping and re-
motion between the tubes and the base shears the viscoelastic layer of the tape to dissipate sistance to vibration and shock.
vibration energy to the submicron level. Damping by shear is quite effec-
(3) Internal tubes. Can act as conduits for temperature-controlled fluid to minimize machinery
temperature differentials.
tive. Traditional cast-iron struc-
(4) Base structure. The longitudinal hole of this structure must maximize the interior perimeter for tures have amplification-at-reso-
greater contact with the damping materials. nance factors, known as Q values, of
(5) Neutral axis of the tubes 100 to 200. The viscous damper
(6) Neutral axis of the base structure takes this Q value down to 20, which
(7) Plates. Welded to the interior tubes to displace the tubes’ neutral axes as far away from that of
the base as possible. This results in relative motion between the base and the tubes that shears is near the ultimate in damping. By
the viscous layer of the polymer tape. contrast, polymer concrete struc-
tures and concrete structures typi-
cally have Q values of 35 to 50. The
low Q value and high-dynamic stiff-
ness of the shear system delivers
machining precision and fine sur-
(7)
face finishes and tolerates aggres-
sive grinding when high production
(5)
rates are preferred.
The composite base offers many
(6) benefits. It can be constructed of any
material providing the main struc-
ture contains longitudinal holes.
Additionally, the internal tubes can
(4) act as conduits for pumping coolant
to the machine base. The cooling
(1) (3)
(2)
minimizes machining errors from
temperature differentials.
To be truly effective, the damper
requires careful impedance match-
mass damper, also typical in ma- ing during the design phase. Every
chine bases, is tuned to a single res- installation must be properly engi-
onant frequency so it cannot damp neered for optimum damping per-
the entire frequency spectrum. formance. After impedance match-
The viscous-shear damper, ing, vibration abatement of the base
in contrast, is frequency is not affected by changes in mass or
insensitive. Its struc- motion of machine components.
tural base, encapsu-
lating epoxy, and Self-lubricating is the key
tubes constrain The Slocum design is different
the viscoelastic from previous hydrostatic bearings.
layer of the poly- Using analytical spreadsheet mod-
mer tape to pre- eling, Prof. Slocum developed a
vent its movement bearing that delivers lubricating
except by internal fluid to machine ways as needed,
shear, which dissi- thus being self-compensating. As
pates vibration en- the load is applied over a compensa-
ergy. The poly- tion pad, the pad directs fluid from
mer has the supply pump to a hydrostatic
h i g h pocket to oppose the load. Bearing-

The hydrostatic bearing design incorporates fully

constrained ways rather than conventional, expensively
machined V and flat ways. Since fully constrained ways
are preloaded in all directions, they can withstand high
accelerations and direction changes while still
maintaining their precise motion resolution.

00 1994
OCTOBER AMERI-
A Ph.D. from MIT brings new
technology to grinding

Flow paths of self-compensating hydrostatic bearings (1) Gear pump. Delivers bearing fluid to ports in
the self-compensating pads of the machine
ways. The gear pump avoids the vibration
that hydraulic pumps induce.

(2) Self-compensation pad. Lubricating fluid

enters the pad through ports at the edge of
the pad and flows to collector grooves that
act as feedback sources for the bearing. The
fluid collector at the center of the pad feeds
and controls the amount of fluid that goes to
an opposing bearing pad.
(2) (3) Bearing pad. As the load is applied over the
(1) pad, it opposes the load by directing fluid
from the supply pump to a pocket or sump.
(3) (4) Two travel paths for lubricating fluid. Fluid
from the lower port flows to the upper load-
bearing pad of the guide, while the upper port
delivers hydrostatic fluid to the lower load-
bearing pad.

(4)

The bearing design eliminates the hand-tuning of each fluid pocket, large clearances, and tight construction tolerances of earlier
hydrostatic ways. The design allows the use of water-based fluids.

fluid flow into the disadvantages of earlier hydrostatic

Vibration amplitudes over time for a number of bases
bearing pocket is bearings such as hand-tuning each
proportional to the pocket and sensitivity to contamina-
bearing load the tion, which restricted the bearing to
(A) pocket must re- high-viscous oils, and extensive ma-
sist. Large clear- chining required for their high-tol-
ances at fluid erance construction.
ports decrease the Bearing-load characteristics are
potential for clog- attractive. The hydrostatic bearing
ging. This allows boasts high bidirectional load capac-
the use of water or ity and stiffness when preloaded in
grinding fluid, af- an opposed pad configuration. The
ter being specially result is a design that is insensitive
filtered, to act as to manufacturing tolerances be-
the hydrostatic cause bearing gap variations only
(B) fluid. These inno- affect the fluid flow rate, not the
vations overcome load capacity or the shape of the
stiffness-response curve of the sys-
tem. Port size, typically 3 mm, is in-
sensitive to dirt and, because of the
Vibration damping by constant flow of fluid, the bearing is
viscous-shear (A) is self cleaning. Also beneficial, the use
10 times more of low viscosity water-based fluids
(C) effective than that of permits high travel speeds for the
hollow bases guides. A state of zero static friction
constructed of steel on the hydrostatic bearing results in
(C), and four times very high repeatability, unlimited
more effective than motion resolution, and no wear of
that of concrete-filled the guides. This translates to a po-
(B) bases. tentially infinite bearing life. ■

AMERICAN MACHINIST 00 OCTOBER 1994