Machine tools with metal foams

Machine tool construction calls for subassemblies with reduced weight while retaining excellent dynamic properties. Modern frame components do always meet required static stiffness but often display scillation problems due to low component wall thicknesses. Breaking down solid steel structure into wide-area sandwich designs such as steel-aluminum foam-steel panels results in good static properties to be combined with excellent properties since these sandwiches have 30 to 40 times the flexural strength. This is due to their major geometrical moment of inertia in relation to adequate-mass steel sheet metals. In addition, the foam core dampens oscillations. Studies on foamed steel sections indicate that 2 to 3 times higher damping is likely in relation to unfoamed steel sections. These benefits were the motivation for the Chemnitz Metal Foam Center to accelerate development of extremely large-format sandwiches with dimensions of 1,500 x 1,000 mm2.