Rotor machining errors strongly influence the air-film pressure distribution of aerostatic spindles and fundamentally limit performance enhancement. However, existing studies rarely provide a comprehensive statistical characterization based on measured manufacturing errors. To address this gap, a multi-scale modeling framework based on harmonic analysis of form errors is developed. Measured surface topography data from a batch of rotors are decomposed to establish a harmonic statistical model, which is then incorporated into a modified Reynolds equation together with macro-scale and micro-scale error components. The static performance of the aerostatic spindle is subsequently analyzed. Results show that low-order harmonics (1st–5th) dominate cylindricity errors, with amplitudes following a log-normal distribution. The statistical bounds are described by 3σ envelopes. When the eccentricity ε exceeds 0.3, barrel-shaped errors reduce the load capacity by more than 15%, whereas waist-drum-shaped errors exhibit a self-stabilizing tendency under small deviations. Performance degradation can be partially mitigated by adjusting the supply pressure and orifice diameter. This study addresses the research gap in understanding the impact of measured manufacturing errors on aerostatic spindle performance and provides a quantitative basis for tolerance allocation and performance optimization.

Aerostatic spindles are indispensable in the ultra-precision manufacturing field due to their high accuracy and low friction. However, rotor manufacturing errors will affect the thickness and uniformity of the air film, thereby limiting the improvement and application of the aerostatic spindle. To explore this issue, this paper presents theoretical modelling and experimental work. Rotor cylindricity errors were first evaluated based on manufacturing errors, and a calculation model of the film thickness considering rotor cylindricity errors was established. By solving the dynamic Reynolds equation considering cylindricity errors, the dynamic stiffness and damping of aerostatic spindles were obtained. The influence mechanism of rotor cylindricity errors on the dynamic stiffness and damping coefficients of the rotor–bearing system was revealed. The stiffness coefficients K_xx, K_yy, and K_xy are more sensitive to the saddle-shaped errors, and the stiffness coefficient K_yx and both damping coefficients are more closely related to bucket-shaped errors. Regarding the influence of the cylindricity errors’ extremal position, the main and cross stiffness coefficients are sensitive to saddle-shaped errors and bucket-shaped errors, respectively; the main and cross-damping coefficients are sensitive to bucket-shaped errors. Under the effect of three kinds of error shapes, when the rotor cylindricity errors value is less than 1 μm, the dynamic stiffness and damping coefficients are conducive to improving the dynamic characteristics of the rotor–bearing system. Multiple rotors were manufactured, and their cylindricity errors were measured, and then the dynamic characteristics of the assembled aerostatic spindles with these rotors were tested. It was found that the dynamic stiffness of spindles with saddle-shaped errors is larger than that of spindles with conical-shaped errors, and the greater the error values are, the worse the rotation accuracy. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical findings, thus verifying the feasibility and validity of the established theoretical model. This study improves the error tolerance design accuracy of rotors and thereby enhances the dynamic performance of aerostatic spindles.