Comparative Study with Alternative Materials for Machine Tool Structures

Machine tool structures made of non conventional materials have seen tremendous progress in the manufacturing industry. Conventional material such as cast iron is now being replaced with materials having superior properties. This paper tries to review the development of alternative materials for the machine tool structures over the last three decades that were found to have beneficial properties than the conventional cast iron. To support the higher speeds of modern machine tools built to increase productivity and at the same time maintain the surface finish of the work pieces, the requirement of alternatives to cast iron have emerged. The properties of the alternative materials are summarized and compared with cast iron.