Characteristics of Epoxy-Granite Composite Material For Ultra-Precision Machine Bed Structures

초정밀 가공기계 베드 구조물용 에폭시-그래나이트재의 특성에 관한 연구

The machine tool structures for ultra-precision machining muxt be manufactured with materials which have high static and dynamic stiffness, high damping, a long term dimensional and thermal stability. This study aims at the development of new composite material Epoxy-Granite which exhibits the satisfactory characteristics as a material of ultra-precision mchine tool bed. The Epoxy-Granite testpieces that use epoxy resins as a binder and granite particles as a aggregate have been manufactured so as to examine the material properties about mechanical, thermal and damping characteristics. Experiments were carried out to obtain the proper manufacturing conditions of Expoxy-Granite specimens by varying the several testing conditions such as types of epoxy resins, particle sizes of granite and mixture ratio of epoxy resin and aggregate. Also, when Epoxy-Granite was compared with cast iron, GRANITAN which was imported from CMS of U.K. and granite materials, it has exhibited the superior or almost the same mechanical and damping properties and thermal conductivity, except for the thermal expansion.