Abstract
Thermal errors in high-speed electric spindles represent a core bottleneck constraining the machining accuracy of high-end machine tools. Addressing this challenge, this paper proposes thermal error suppression solutions through two independent approaches: “active enhanced heat exchange” and “passive structural constraints.” First, an experimental and numerical model for the A02 electric spindle thermal error was established, validating the reliability and robustness of the simulation model. Regarding cooling system optimization, protrusions were arranged within the flow channels to enhance convective heat transfer efficiency. Results indicate that the thermal economy evaluation metric achieves optimal performance at a blockage ratio of 0.059, reducing the maximum spindle temperature by 5.8% while maintaining pump power. For structural material optimization, carbon fiber-epoxy composite materials were incorporated into the spindle to suppress thermal displacement. A circumferentially uniform arrangement with a volume fraction of 24.7% reduces total spindle displacement by 28.6%. This study contributes by quantifying the improvement effects of microstructure-induced turbulence and composite anisotropy constraints on thermal errors, overcoming the limitations of single-parameter optimization. The established design criteria—such as the optimal blockage ratio—can directly serve structural optimization for high-precision machine tools, providing flexible “dual-path” theoretical support and technical pathways for thermal error management across diverse engineering scenarios.
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