Abstract
The thermoelectric cooling method for the main spindle of a machine tool is proposed in the study. The experimental results show that the thermoelectric cooling method contributes to decrease the temperature at many different places of the spindle considerably more than that of the jacket and also to reduce the thermal displacement of the spindle. These results are confirmed analytically by use of the finite element method. The analytical results show also that smaller temperature difference between the jacket and spindle causes increase of preload at the spindle bearing at very high spindle rotation and its slight decrease at low spindle rotation. This suggest the possibility of very high spindle rotation which is also proved experimentally.
