Chatter stability of micro end milling by considering process nonlinearities and process damping

The micro end milling uses the miniature tools to fabricate complexity microstructures at high rotational speeds. The regenerative chatter, which causes tool wear and poor machining quality, is one of the challenges needed to be solved in the micro end milling process. In order to predict the chatter stability of micro end milling, this paper proposes a cutting forces model taking into account the process nonlinearities caused by tool run-out, trajectory of tool tip and intermittency of chip formation, and the process damping effect in the ploughing-dominant and shearing-dominant regimes. Since the elasto-plastic deformation of micro end milling leads to large process damping which will affect the process stability, the process damping is also included in the cutting forces model. The micro end milling process is modeled as a two degrees of freedom system with the dynamic parameters of tool-machine system obtained by the receptance coupling method. According to the calculated cutting forces, the time-domain simulation method is extended to predict the chatter stability lobes diagrams. Finally, the micro end milling experiments of cutting forces and machined surface quality have been investigated to validate the accuracy of the proposed model.     

A novel chatter stability criterion for the modelling and simulation of the dynamic milling process in the time domain

The modelling of the dynamic processes in milling and the determination of chatter-free cutting conditions are becoming increasingly important in order to facilitate the effective planning of machining operations. In this study, a new chatter stability criterion is proposed, which can be used for a time domain milling process simulation and a model-based milling process control. A predictive time domain model is presented for the simulation and analysis of the dynamic cutting process and chatter in milling. The instantaneous undeformed chip thickness is modelled to include the dynamic modulations caused by the tool vibrations so that the dynamic regeneration effect is taken into account. The cutting force is determined by using a predictive machining theory. A numerical method is employed to solve the differential equations governing the dynamics of the milling system. The work proposes that the ratio of the predicted maximum dynamic cutting force to the predicted maximum static cutting force can be used as a criterion for the chatter stability. Comparisons between the simulation and experimental results are given to verify the new model.     

Milling force vibration analysis in high-speed-milling titanium alloy using variable pitch angle mill

Chatter may cause fast wear of tools and poor surface quality of the workpieces at high cutting speed and it will happen on different process parameters; how do we select the suitable cutting speed to suppress the chatter? In this paper, a signal analysis method for milling force and acceleration is adopted to identify chatter, which can obtain the results not only in frequency of chatter but also in the contribution for milling force at different frequencies. Through the milling experiment, the machining vibration behaviors of milling Ti–6Al–4V with variable pitch end mill were investigated. Milling force and acceleration signals obtained from experiment were analyzed and compared at stable and unstable milling processes. The experimental results show that when the chatter occurs, milling forces were found to increase dramatically by 61.9–66.8% compared with that of at stable cutting; machining surface quality became poor and machined surface roughness increases by 34.2–40.5% compared with that of at stable cutting.     

Stability charts with large curve-flute end-mills for thin-walled workpieces

The development of advanced performance materials by foundrymen allows new designs of components with similar mechanical resistance but lower thicknesses. This accentuates the well-known problems in machining cutting systems (static form errors, forced vibrations, and chatter), which appear increasingly early. These problems are particularly severe in the case of rotating parts in the field of aeronautics. Currently, the machining time for impellers and blisks can be improved so that new cutting tools with innovative features are continually developed. Barrel type or curved end mills will have a significant impact on the manufacturing of aircraft components during incoming years. In this paper, a time domain method is proposed for the first time to predict stability in milling operations when using these tools. The dynamic cutting forces are first obtained and then used to plot stability contour maps. Key aspects, such as tool orientation angles, several dynamic modes, and runout were also considered. Finally, chatter tests were performed for a low-stiffness mechanical system to validate the model. The presented maps indicate chatter severity and may be used for chatter prediction and productivity improvement.     

Critical speed analysis for nonlinear effects of rotor system and ball end milling

The critical speed analysis for nonlinear effects of rotor-bearing system and ball end milling are studied in this paper. The nonlinear cutting force can be calculated by using the Tlusty proposed 3/4 rule for chip thickness. The rotor system is supported by bearings with nonlinear spring effects. The critical speeds obtained from this study are compared with two sets of experimental data to validate the proposed four cases. The effects of design parameters on system dynamic behaviors, including critical speeds and tool displacements under the dynamic cutting forces, are numerically investigated in the time domain. The results show that the critical speeds of system are proportional to the corresponding system natural frequencies, but inversely to the cycle number of tool vibration multiplying by the number of flutes during the cutting time from one flute to another. For the linear system and the nonlinear system with small depth-of-cut under linear cutting force milling, their critical speeds are almost identical. With large feed-per-tooth, the differences of the critical speeds become larger between linear and nonlinear rotor systems and so are the dynamic responses at critical speeds milling. The critical speed under nonlinear cutting force milling is found to be always higher than that under linear cutting force. Furthermore, the chatter stability lobes are studied for various cutting conditions. The intervals between critical speeds increase gradually, and the axial depths of cut of nonlinear system for stability are lower than those of linear system.     

螺旋铣孔工艺的切削稳定性及工艺参数规划

以螺旋铣孔工艺时域解析切削力建模、时域与频域切削过程动力学建模、切削颤振及切削稳定性建模为基础,研究了螺旋铣孔的切削参数工艺规划模型和方法。切削力模型同时考虑了刀具周向进给和轴向进给,沿刀具螺旋进给方向综合了侧刃和底刃的瞬时受力特性;动力学模型中同时包含了主轴自转和螺旋进给两种周期对系统动力学特性的影响,并分别建立了轴向切削稳定域和径向切削稳定域的预测模型,求解了相关工艺条件下的切削稳定域叶瓣图。在切削力和动力学模型基础之上,研究了包括轴向切削深度、径向切削深度、主轴转速、周向进给率、轴向进给率等切削工艺参数的多目标工艺参数规划方法。最后通过试验对所规划的工艺参数进行了验证,试验过程中未出现颤振现象,表面粗糙度、圆度、圆柱度可以达到镗孔工艺的加工精度。     

Chatter stability prediction in milling using time-varying uncertainties

The chatter stability in milling severely affects productivity and quality of machining. Tool wear causes both the cutting coefficient and the process damping coefficient, but also other parameters to change with cutting time. This variation greatly reduces the accuracy of chatter prediction using conventional methods. To solve this problem, we consider the cutting coefficients of the milling system to be both random and time-varying variables and we use the gamma process to predict cutting coefficients for different cutting times. In this paper, a time-varying reliability analysis is introduced to predict chatter stability and chatter reliability in milling. The relationship between stability and reliability is investigated for given depths and spindle speeds in the milling process. We also study the time-varying chatter stability and time-varying chatter reliability methods theoretically and with experiments. The results of this study show that the proposed method can be used to predict chatter with high accuracy for different cutting times.     

Three-dimensional stability prediction and chatter analysis in milling of thin-walled plate

Stability lobe diagram can be used for selecting proper milling parameters to perform chatter-free operations and improve productivity during milling of thin-walled plates. This paper studies the machining stability in milling of thin-walled plates and develops a three-dimensional stability lobe diagram of the spindle speed, tool position, and axial depth of cut. The workpiece-holder system is modeled as a 2-degree-of-freedom system considering that the tool system is much more rigid than the thin-walled plate, and dynamic equations of motion described for the workpiece-holder system are solved numerically in time domain to compute the dynamic displacements of the thin-walled plate. Statistical variances of the dynamic displacements are then employed as a chatter detection criterion to acquire the stability lobe diagram. The experimentally obtained stability limits correspond well with the predicted stability limits. In addition, influence of feed rate on stability limits is also investigated. By performing frequency analysis of the measured cutting forces to judge if chatter occurs, it is found that feed per tooth has little influence on the stability limits. However, feed per tooth impacts the machined surface quality. The results show that the surface quality drops by increasing feed per tooth.     

Toolpath dependent chatter suppression in multi-axis milling of hollow fan blades with ball-end cutter

Aiming at the issue of toolpath dependent machining vibration in multi-axis milling of hollow fan blades, this paper presents an optimal selection method of cutting parameters based on single-line toolpath to suppress cutting chatter. Firstly, the impact of hollow structure on the blade structural modal was analyzed by using the modal analysis method. And the unstable regions of hollow blade surface have been predicted, which were prone to induce machining deformation and vibration. Secondly, the relationship between the hollow structure and the dynamic characteristics was revealed by analyzing the dynamic responses to the different cutting positions of blade surface. Thirdly, the optimization of cutting parameters based on single-line toolpath was proposed by establishing the 3D stability lobe diagram. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness about the analysis of dynamic characteristics and the suppression method of cutting chatter were verified by a milling experiment of hollow blade.     

考虑变时滞效应的弱刚度球头铣刀铣削稳定性研究

弱刚度球头铣刀广泛应用于深腔模具零件的铣削中,加工过程中容易发生颤振,确定加工稳定域是实现稳定铣削的重要手段,但该铣削系统具有变时滞特点,稳定性分析的难度较大,制约着加工质量的提高。为此,提出一种弱刚度球头铣刀铣削稳定性分析方法。首先,建立弱刚度刀具系统的动力学方程;接着,基于Newton-Raphson求解出刀齿选定点的时滞量;最后,基于全离散法提出考虑变时滞再生效应的稳定性分析方法,并利用Floquet定理获得了不同转速所对应的临界切深,构建出铣削稳定性叶瓣图。实验结果表明在叶瓣图的非稳定域铣削时铣削力中含颤振频率成分,所加工表面的S_y和S_a比稳定域内加工表面增大35%和42%,说明该分析方法是可靠的,可为切削参数的选择和优化提供依据。     

内置被动阻尼器减振铣刀的实验测试

提出一种长径比接近8的内置被动阻尼器减振铣刀结构。开展阻尼器模态测试,确定最优结构设计方案。对内置被动阻尼器减振铣刀进行周向模态测试,研究减振铣刀在不同方位的动力学特性。选取铝合金和钛合金工件材料,开展多组切削参数组合下的切削实验测试。在铝合金切削时,减振铣刀的加工噪声、切削力和表面粗糙度比无阻尼铣刀平均下降了52.1%,49.5%和73.4%;在钛合金全槽铣削时,能够在无阻尼铣刀出现明显颤振的切削条件下实现平稳切削。     

Hybrid model- and signal-based chatter detection in the milling process

Chatter causes machining instability and reduces productivity in the metal cutting process. It has negative effects on the surface finish, dimensional accuracy, tool life and machine life. Chatter identification is therefore necessary to control, prevent, or eliminate chatter and to determine the stable machining condition. Previous studies of chatter detection used either model-based or signal-based methods, and each of them has its drawback. Model-based methods use cutting dynamics to develop stability lobe diagram to predict the occurrence of chatter, but the off-line stability estimation couldn’t detect chatter in real time. Signal-based methods apply mostly Fourier analysis to the cutting or vibration signals to identify chatter, but they are heuristic methods and do not consider the cutting dynamics. In this study, the model-based and signal-based chatter detection methods were thoroughly investigated. As a result, a hybrid model- and signal-based chatter detection method was proposed. By analyzing the residual between the force measurement and the output of the cutting force model, milling chatter could be detected and identified efficiently during the milling process.

     

高速铣削时颤振的诊断和稳定加工区域的预报

给出一种通过测量加工过程中的噪声来诊断高速铣削时颤振的方法.先测量环境噪声,然后测量加工噪声.理论分析和试验结果表明,如果加工噪声的主谐振频率接近其中一个环境噪声主谐振频率或者是齿频的整数倍,那么系统无颤振,否则有颤振.建立系统结构和铣削过程动力学特征参数的数学模型.根据测出的颤振频率,通过所建模型可解出系统的固有频率、阻尼比和过程参数,并计算出稳定极限曲线.试验证明,该方法能较好地预报高速铣削时的稳定加工区域.     

ESPRIT- and HMM-based real-time monitoring and suppression of machining chatter in smart CNC milling system

Suppression of machining chatter during milling processes is of great significance for surface finish and tool life. In this paper, a smart CNC milling system integrating the function of signal processing, monitoring, and intelligent control is presented with the aim of real-time chatter monitoring and suppression. The algorithm of estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) is adopted to extract the frequency characteristics of acceleration signals, and then, cutting state is categorized as stable state, chatter germination state, and chatter state based on amplitude-frequency characteristics of identified acceleration signals. The model of chatter identification is acquired by training a hidden Markov model (HMM), which combines acceleration signals and labeled cutting state. To implement real-time chatter suppression, the algorithm of fuzzy control is integrated into a smart CNC kernel to determine the relationship between cutting force and spindle speed. Furthermore, spindle speed of machine tool could be adjusted timely in the presented system once the chatter is identified. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed real-time chatter monitoring and suppression system is experimentally validated.     

Prediction of dynamic cutting force and regenerative chatter stability in inserted cutters milling

Currently, the modeling of cutting process mainly focuses on two aspects: one is the setup of the universal cutting force model that can be adapted to a broader cutting condition; the other is the setup of the exact cutting force model that can accurately reflect a true cutting process. However, there is little research on the prediction of chatter stablity in milling. Based on the generalized mathematical model of inserted cutters introduced by ENGIN, an improved geometrical, mechanical and dynamic model for the vast variety of inserted cutters widely used in engineering applications is presented, in which the average directional cutting force coefficients are obtained by means of a numerical approach, thus leading to an analytical determination of stability lobes diagram (SLD) on the axial depth of cut. A new kind of SLD on the radial depth of cut is also created to satisfy the special requirement of inserted cutter milling. The corresponding algorithms used for predicting cutting forces, vibrations, dimensional surface finish and stability lobes in inserted cutter milling under different cutting conditions are put forward. Thereafter, a dynamic simulation module of inserted cutter milling is implemented by using hybrid program of Matlab with Visual Basic. Verification tests are conducted on a vertical machine center for Aluminum alloy LC4 by using two different types of inserted cutters, and the effectiveness of the model and the algorithm is verified by the good agreement of simulation result with that of cutting tests under different cutting conditions. The proposed model can predict the cutting process accurately under a variety of cutting conditions, and a high efficient and chatter-free milling operation can be achieved by a cutting condition optimization in industry applications.     

Time domain coupled simulation of machine tool dynamics and cutting forces considering the influences of nonlinear friction characteristics and process damping

A higher machining ability is always required for NC machine tools to achieve higher productivity. The self-oscillated vibration called “chatter” is a well-known and significant problem that increases the metal removal rate. The generation process of the chatter vibration can be described as a relationship between cutting force and machine tool dynamics. The characteristics of machine tool feed drives are influenced by the nonlinear friction characteristics of the linear guides. Hence, the nonlinear friction characteristics are expected to affect the machining ability of machines. The influence of the contact between the cutting edge and the workpiece (i.e., process damping) on to the machining ability has also been investigated. This study tries to clarify the influence of the nonlinear friction characteristics of linear guides and ball screws and process damping onto milling operations. A vertical-type machining center is modeled by a multi-body dynamics model with nonlinear friction models. The influence of process damping onto the machine tool dynamics is modeled as stiffness and damping between the tool and the workpiece based on the evaluated frequency response during the milling operation. A time domain-coupled simulation approach between the machine tool behavior and the cutting forces is performed by using the machine tool dynamics model. The simulation results confirm that the nonlinear frictions influence the cutting forces with an effect to suppress the chatter vibration. Furthermore, the influence of process damping can be evaluated by the proposed measurement method and estimated by a time domain simulation.     

Identifying bifurcation behavior during machining process for an irregular milling tool geometry

High-productivity machining processes cause tool and material defects and even damages in machine spindles. The onset of self-excited vibration, known as chatter, limits this high material removal rate. This chatter vibration refers to machining instability during cutting processes, which results in bifurcation behavior or nonlinear effect wherein the tool and the workpiece are not engaged with each other. In particular, bifurcation for low-radial immersion conditions can be easily promoted and identified. In this study, an experiment on an irregular milling tool as a variable helix and variable pitch geometry was conducted under a flexible workpiece condition. The bifurcation behavior from regenerative chatter was identified and quantified from displacement sensor and inductive sensor measurements. A series of cutting tests was used to measure the vibration signals, which were then analyzed based on the frequency spectrum, the one-per-revolution effect, and the Poincaré section. According to results, Hopf bifurcation and period-one bifurcation instabilities apparently occurred to validate chatter stability prediction through a semi-discretization method. However, period-doubling bifurcation was only determined during the unstable cutting of a uniform tool that was not in variable helix/pitch or an irregular milling tool. An irregular tool geometry caused the modulation of the regenerative effect to suppress chatter, and period-doubling instability could not be exhibited during cutting as a regular tool behavior. This period-one chatter instability of an irregular milling tool should be identified and avoided by practitioners to achieve high productivity in machining using the aforementioned irregular milling tools.     

APPLICATION OF WAVELET TRANSFORM ON DIAGNOSIS AND PREDICTION OF MILLING CHATTER

In order to avoid the accuracy deterioration or tool damage caused by milling chatter, it is necessary to have an efficient and reliable diagnosis system that can on-line predict/detect the occur-rence of chatter. The diagnosis/predicting system proposed is to on-line process and analysis the vi-bration signals of the milling machine measured by accelerometers. According to the analysis results, the system will be able to detect/predict the occurrence of the chatter. The diagnosis algorithm is, first, collecting both the normal signals and chatter signals from milling processes, and then, converting the signals through wavelet transform and fast Fourier transform (FFT). Since the converted chatter sig-nals exhibit different characteristics from the normal signals, through defining the characteristic val-ues, such as root-mean-square value, max value, and ratio of peak value to root-mean-square value, etc, a diagnosis reference library that contains the distribution of these characteristic values is built for diagnosis. When a diagnosis is executing, the characteristic value of the measured signals is con-trasted with the diagnosis reference. The approach index which shows the possibility of occurrence of milling chatter will, then, be calculated through the diagnosis system. Cutting experiments are con-ducted to verify the proposed diagnosis system. The results show the success of early chatter detecting for the system.     

Modeling and Analytical Solution of Chatter Stability for T-slot Milling

T-slot milling is one of the most common milling processes in industry. Despite recent advances in machining technology, productivity of T-slot milling is usually limited due to the process limitations such as high cutting forces and stability. If cutting conditions are not selected properly the process may result in the poor surface finish of the workpiece and the potential damage to the machine tool. Currently, the predication of chatter stability and determination of optimal cutting conditions based on the modeling of T-slot milling process is an effective way to improve the material removal rate(MRR) of a T-slot milling operation. Based on the geometrical model of the T-slot cutter, the dynamic cutting force model was presented in which the average directional cutting force coefficients were obtained by means of numerical approach, and leads to an analytical determination of stability lobes diagram(SLD) on the axial depth of cut. A new kind of SLD on the radial depth of cut was also created to satisfy the special requirement of T-slot milling. Thereafter, a dynamic simulation model of T-slot milling was implemented using Matlab software. In order to verify the effectiveness of the approach, the transfer functions of a typical cutting system in a vertical CNC machining center were measured in both feed and normal directions by an instrumented hammer and accelerators. Dynamic simulations were conducted to obtain the predicated SLD under specified cutting conditions with both the proposed model and CutPro?. Meanwhile, a set of cutting trials were conducted to reveal whether the cutting process under specified cutting conditions is stable or not. Both the simulation comparison and experimental verification demonstrated that the satisfactory coincidence between the simulated, the predicted and the experimental results. The chatter-free T-slot milling with higher MRR can be achieved under the cutting conditions determined according to the SLD simulation.