Linear motion (LM) ball guides have good accuracy and high efficiency. They are widely applied for precision machinery such as machine tools, semiconductor fabrication machines and robots. However, friction force incurs heat between the balls and grooves. Thermal expansion due to the heat deteriorates stiffness and accuracy of the LM ball guides. For accurate estimation of stiffness and accuracy during the linear motion, friction models of LM ball guides are required. To formulate accurate frictional models of LM ball guides according to load and preload conditions, rolling and viscous frictional analyses have been performed in this paper. Contact loads between balls and grooves are derived from Hertzian contact analysis. Contact angle variation is incorporated for the precision modeling. Viscous friction model is formulated from the shear stress of lubricant and the contact area between balls and grooves. Experiments confirm validity of the developed friction model for various external load and feedrate conditions.
