DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR OF HYDROSTATIC THRUST BEARING.

HYDROSTATIC BEARINGS HAVE BECOME WIDELY APPLIED TO MACHINE TOOL ELEMENTS BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH STIFFHESS AND DAMPIHG.THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT PAPER IS TO INVESTIGATE THE BEHAVIOUR OF A HYDROSTATIC THRUST BEARING, WHICH HAS FOUR SECTOR-SHAPED RECESSES, WHEN A DYNAMIC FORCE AND MOMENT ARE APPLIED ON IT.THIS SITUATION MAY VERY POSSIBLY BE PRODUCED UNDER ACTUAL CUTTING CONDITIONS OF A MACHINE TOOL SUCH AS THE REVOLVING TABLE OF A VERTICAL LATHE.BY APPLYING THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD, DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HYDROSTATIC THRUST BEARING ARE OBTAINED THEORETICALLY.SPECIAL ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE EFFECT OF POSITION WHERE THE DYNAMIC FORCES ARE APPLIED.THE VALIDITY OF THE THEORETICAL RESULTS IS SUPPORTED BY THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION.THE RESULTS OF THE PRESENT PAPER PROVIDE SOME USEFUL INFORMATIONS FOR INCREASING THE DYNAMIC STIFFNESS OF HYDROSTATIC THRUST BEARING, WHICH IS ALWAYS AN ESSENTIAL PROPERTY FOR MACHINE TOOL APPLICATIONS.(A.).