Lubricating Ability of Improved Lapped Surfaces for Guideways

Firstly, this paper describes the lubricating ability of improved lapped surfaces which have oil grooves at regular intervals. To clarify the mechanism of lubricating ability of the lapped surfaces, floating amounts of test pieces were measured using noncontact displacement gauges and the behavior of lubrication was observed with a microscope. Secondly, three advanced surfaces with intervals of 0.6, 3 and 10 mm grooves were produced. Friction forces and the floating amounts of tables were measured using a prototype machine. Four kinds of base oil with viscosity of 0.1413.81 Pa's were used as stearate lubricants. The results are summarized as follows : oil films were formed on the master guideways by movement of lapped surfaces, and the formation characteristics of oil films depend on the viscosity of the lubricants. Viscosity of lubricants and addition of stearate affect floating amounts of the table and friction forces.