Characteristics of stiffness and contact stress distribution of a spindle–holder taper joint under clamping and centrifugal forces

• A new model is proposed to identify a spindle–holder taper joint characteristics.
• Both the clamping and centrifugal forces are considered in the model.
• Non-uniform distribution stress is studied under clamping and centrifugal forces.
• An experimental method for axial and radial stiffness identification is proposed.

An understanding of the contact characteristics of a spindle–holder joint in machine tools calls for an in-depth analysis of its performance under machining conditions. This study specifically aims to model a spindle–holder taper joint to predict the stiffness and stress distribution under different clamping and centrifugal forces. A spindle–holder taper joint subjected to clamping and centrifugal forces was modeled using the finite element method. The stress distribution of the interface was revealed and it was found that the von-Mises stress had a non-linear distribution because of the clamping force of the holder. The centrifugal forces were included in the model to analyze the deformation of the joint. At high speed the centrifugal force caused a stress concentration at the large end of the holder. A typical 7/24 taper joint of a BT50 holder was investigated to identify the stiffness using a special experimental platform. The axial and radial stiffnesses, as well as the hysteresis cycles were obtained to predict the contact characteristics with different clamping forces. The experimental results showed that the model presented in this study was efficient in predicting the characteristics of the spindle–holder joint. The method presented is useful in identifying the dynamics of a spindle–holder and can thus be used to optimize the spindle system.