Expedient modeling of ball screw feed drives

Abstract

Ball screw feed drives are the most commonly used mechanism to provide linear motion in high speed machine tools. Position accuracy and the achievable closed loop bandwidth of such drive systems are usually limited by the structural vibration modes of the mechanical components. Higher order plant models allow for a better understanding of the system dynamics, improve the design process of feed drives and are essential for the development of sophisticated control strategies. The ball screw shaft, describing a complex flexible structure, is probably the most significant component concerning structural vibration modes of a feed drive. In this paper, the behavior of the shaft and its dominant influence at different operating and coupling conditions is particularly addressed. Using a hybrid modeling technique, the main characteristics of the shaft are derived and projected onto a clearly arranged and versatile lumped mass model. Simulative and experimental examinations are conducted and a parameter analysis is performed. The presented model proofs to be accurate for a great range of parameters and in addition allows for a physical interpretation of the dominant structural vibration modes of a feed drive.