A fluid film model for finite element analysis of structures with linear hydrostatic bearings

Linear hydrostatic bearings are well known for their high motion guide accuracy, low friction and wear, high stiffness and high load-carrying capacity. It is very useful to predict the behaviour of a structure with linear hydrostatic bearings in the design stage. In this work, a finite element model is suggested to represent fluid films between bearing blocks and rails. The model can be used to capture the deformation of the bearing structure as well as the varying properties of the fluid film. With this model incorporated into the commercial finite element code ABAQUS, static and quasi-static analyses of the structures containing hydrostatic bearings can be performed efficiently. Comparisons with known experimental data are presented.