Spindles with hydrostatic fluid film bearings can be more desirable for precision machining applications although they have higher system cost. The fluid supply system that is required for their operation is expensive, especially for higher speed applications where the viscous drag in the fluid film consumes excessive motor power and generates excessive heat which must be dissipated external to the machine. The results of calculations for a representative application indicate that a hydrostatic spindle is a reasonable alternative to a rolling element spindle in slow or moderate speed applications even when cost considerations are important. Furthermore, an examination of the hidden costs associated with building and maintaining rolling element spindles reveals a narrow gap between the true costs of the two spindle systems.
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