II.

Self-excited vibration in machining operations

Sources of vibration in machining operations:
Forced vibration caused by rotating unbalances in machinery
Self-excited vibration caused by positive feedback mechanism leading
to dynamic instability of cutting process
Consequences: Poor surface finish, reduction of tool lifetime, damage to
workpiece, tool or machinery
II.1 Instability of cutting tool dynamics in
low-speed cutting
Observation: At low velocities, cutting force F(v) may decrease with
increasing cutting speed.
Question: When does steady-state cutting become unstable?
(see also Fig. 34 and calculations, lecture notes)
F(y-x)
. .
Negative velocity dependence of cutting force due to thermal feedback:
0 1 2 3 4
8
F
0
F
C
u
t
t
i
n
g

f
o
r
c
e
Cutting speed v/v
1
Example: Exponential velocity dependence of cutting force
] exp[ ) ( ) (
1 0
v v F F F v F + =

Result: Steady-state cutting operation at velocity v
0
is unstable if
Consequence: instability occurs at
Low velocities
High cutting forces (high cutting widths/depths)
( )
1 1
1
0
1
0
) (
exp
0
cv F v F
c
v
v
v
F F
c
v
F
v
>
<
(

<

II.1 Regenerative vibration in high-speed machining

Observation:
Surface oscillation
frequency at a given
cutting speed
approximately matches
natural frequency of
free tool oscillations in
perpendicular direction
Feedback due to dependence of cutting force on
cutting depth when cutting into previously machined
surface
Increased surface
undulation
Increasing oscillation
in cutting force magnitude
Increasing oscillation of
cutting tool
cutting width
Phase lag between
cutting force and
tool oscillation
Mechanical model of regenerative tool vibration:
dh
dF
F
t x T t x h F h F kx x c x m
x
=
+ = = + +
'
)] ( ) ( [ ' '
0
& & &
is proportional to cutting width w
k F
t x T t x x x x
'
)] ( ) ( [ 2
2
0
2
0 0
=
= + +

& & &
After shifting coordinates to eliminate constant force Fh
0
and transformation
to canonical form
Crucial argument: Boundary of stability separates a regime of exponentially
damped oscillations from a regime of exponentially growing oscillations
At boundary of stability: Oscillations are neither growing nor damped
Consequence: We can assume solution in the form ) exp( ) ( t i X t x =
[ ]
( ) [ ] ( )
( ) [ ]
2
0
2
0
2
2
2
0
0
2
0
2
1 2
4 1
1 ) exp( 2 1

+
=
=
|
|

\
|
+
|
|

\
|

M
T i i
Minimal critical value of the feedback parameter: At
Below this parameter, no instability can occur at any frequency. In physical
terms, this means that there is a minimal chip width below which cutting is
absolutely stable irrespective of spindle speed.
( ) 2 1
2
0
+ =
) 1 ( 2
min
+ =
Relation between spindle speed and oscillation frequency:
Solution of this transcendental equation produces a stability diagram
of critical cutting parameter vs. critical spindle speed:
( )
( )
2
0
0
1
1
2
tan 2 ) 1 2 (

+ =

n T
Spindle speed f [
0
/2]
C
u
t
t
i
n
g

p
a
r
a
m
e
t
e
r

m
i
n
Diagram has the shape of a sequence of lobes. Interpretation of the lobe
diagram:
Instability occurs first where the spindle speed (revolutions per second)
times the number of oscillations on the workpiece surface (the lobe
number)matches the natural frequency of the tool oscillation (in Hertz)
At higher cutting parameters the instability boundaries expand and
ultimately merge.
For each cutting parameter there is a highest spindle speed where
the cutting operation becomes absolutely stable.
Summary: Sources of vibration in machining operations
Forced vibration due to rotating unbalances in machinery -> vibration
amplitude varies weakly with machine speed, vibration amplitude is
independent of cutting parameters, vibration frequency = rotation speed
of machine
Self-excited vibration -> vibration amplitude varies strongly with spindle
speed and chip width (vibrations emerge suddenly upon a small
change of parameters), vibration frequency = natural frequency of tool
oscillations
Consequences: Poor surface finish, reduction of tool lifetime, damage to
workpiece and machinery.
Diagnostics: Measure frequency and amplitude of vibration while varying
spindle speed and chip width.
Mitigation: If forced vibration: move rotation speed out of resonance.
If self-excited: fine tune rotation speed, reduce chip width.