Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/K11710/01
Title:	INVESTIGATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF POROUS CERAMICWATER HYDROSTATIC BEARINGS FOR ULTRA HIGH PRESICION APPLICAT
Principal Investigator:	Corbett, Professor J
Other Investigators:	McKeown, Professor P Stephenson, Professor D McKeown, Professor P
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	C P E Ltd Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department:	Sch of Industrial and Manufacturing Scie
Organisation:	Cranfield University
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 April 1995	Ends:	31 March 1997	Value (£):	86,616
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Construction
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
This programme is aimed at solving the thermal and other sources of inaccuracy (e.g. stiffness), which are currently limiting the performance of ultra precision machine tools, with regard to both the geometrical shape and surface roughness of the workpieces produced. The research will take advantage of modern materials and processing techniques to enable a new range of ultra precision machines to be developed, i.e. for ductile regime (micro-crack free) machining of ceramics and glass. A recent study in Japan has reported a method for obtaining open porous ceramics, with little closed porosity by using hot isostatic pressing (HIP) methods. By carefully controlling the porosity it is expected that it will be possible to have integral restrictors dispersed throughout the ceramic bearing material resulting in a significant increase in stiffness i.e. having a constant (maximum) bearing pressure along the complete length of the bearing. Further the use of water as the hydrostatic fluid together with ceramic bearing sleeves will result in an improved thermal performance together with other advantages. The programme will identify, assess and evaluate the key parameters, together with their relevance significance. This is expected to lead to the generation of a new and novel design of hydrostatic bearing and spindle arrangement which demonstrates totally predictable work zone accuracies higher than has been achieved to date.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.cranfield.ac.uk