The choice of milling cutter geometry and appropriate cutting data for certain milling application is of vital importance for successful machining results. Unfavourable selection of cutting conditions might give rise to high load impacts that cause severe cutting edge damage. The radial depth of cut in combination with milling cutter geometry might under some circumstances give unfavourable entry conditions in terms of cutting forces and vibration amplitudes. This phenomenon originates from the geometrical features that affect the rise time of the cutting edge engagement into work piece at different radial depths of cut. As the radial depth of cut is often an important parameter, particularly when machining difficult to cut materials, it is important to explore the driving mechanism behind vibrations generation. In this study, acceleration of the work piece is measured for different radial depths of cut and cutting edge geometries. The influence of the radial depth of cut on the dynamical behaviour is evaluated in time and frequency domains. The results for different radial depths of cut and cutting geometries are quantified using root mean square value of acceleration. The outcome of this research study can be used both for the better cutting data recommendations and improved tool design.
The choice of milling cutter geometry and appropriate cutting data for certain milling application is of vital importance for successful machining results. Unfavorable selection of cutting conditions might give rise to high load impacts that cause severe cutting edge damage. Under some circumstances the radial depth of cut in combination with milling cutter geometry might give unfavorable entry conditions in terms of cutting forces and vibration amplitudes. This phenomenon is originated from the geometrical features that affect the rise time of the cutting edge engagement into workpiece at different radial depths of cut. As the radial depth of cut is often an important parameter, particularly when machining difficult-to-cut materials, it is important to explore the driving mechanism behind vibrations generation. In this study, acceleration of the workpiece is measured for different radial depths of cut and cutting edge geometries. The influence of the radial depth of cut on the dynamical behavior is evaluated in time and frequency domains. The results for different radial depths of cut and cutting geometries are quantified using the root mean square value of acceleration. The outcome of this research study can be used both for the better cutting data recommendations and improved tool design.
Understanding the influence of the cutting edge geometry on the development of cutting forces during the milling process is of high importance in order to predict the mechanical loads on the cutting edge as well as the dynamic behavior on the milling tool. The work conducted in this study involves the force development over the entire engagement of a flute in milling, from peak force during the entry phase until the exit phase. The results show a significant difference in the behavior of the cutting process for a highly positive versus a highly negative cutting edge geometry. The negative edge geometry gives rise to larger force magnitudes and very similar developments of the tangential and radial cutting force. The positive cutting edge geometry produces considerably different developments of the tangential and radial cutting force. In case of positive cutting edge geometry, the radial cutting force increases while the uncut chip thickness decreases directly after the entry phase; reaching the peak value after a certain delay. The radial force fluctuation is significantly higher for the positive cutting edge geometry. The understanding of such behavior is important for modelling of the milling process, the design of the cutting edge and the interactive design of digital applications for the selection of the cutting parameters.
The ability to minimize vibrations in milling by the selection of cutting edge geometry and appropriate cutting conditions is an important asset in the optimization of the cutting process. This paper presents a measurement method and a signal processing technique to characterize and quantify the magnitude of the vibrations in an end milling application. Developed methods are then used to investigate the effects of various cutting edge geometries on vibrations in end milling. The experiments are carried out with five cutting edge geometries that are frequently used in machining industry for a wide range of milling applications. The results show that a modest protection chamfer combined with a relatively high rake angle has, for the most of cutting conditions, a reducing effect on vibration magnitudes. Furthermore, dynamics of a highly positive versus a highly negative cutting geometry is explored in time domain and its dependency on cutting conditions is presented. The results give concrete indications about the most optimal cutting edge geometry and cutting conditions in terms of dynamic behavior of the tool.
In the intermittent turning and milling processes, during the entry phase the cutting edges are subjected to high impact loads that can give rise to dynamical and strength issues which in general cause tool life reduction. In this study the effect of geometrical features of the cutting tool on the force generation during the entry phase is investigated. Cutting forces are measured by a stiff dynamometer at a high sampling frequency. In addition, the chip load area is analyzed and related to the measured cutting force. The results show that micro-geometrical features, in particular the protection chamfer, significantly affect the force generation during the entry phase.
Development of electric motors in recent years has led to major changes in the automotive industry. This means that the industry is constantly in need of development in order to be able to adapt to new methods and materials. The thesis examines part of this. Laser welding of copper rods, called hairpins, is an important part of the production of an electric motor. During laser welding of copper hairpins, defects occur in the material which results in a poor welding quality which in turn leads to poorer current flow in the electric motor. In this work, a literature review is performed together with experiments to determine which coatings and how the roughness / surface fineness affects the laser welding of copper hairpins. 10 different samples are selected, where contaminated, oxidized and black-painted surfaces are examined with sanded and polished surfaces. The results show that hairpins with a rough surface without any coating have the best welding quality, while hairpins in their original milled shape show the second best welding quality. The conclusion is that coatings increase the porosity, which results in a lower welding quality. More tests need to be performed to ensure the result.
This paper presents a cutting force model which has three dynamic cutting force coefficients related to regenerative chip thickness, velocity and acceleration terms, respectively. The dynamic cutting force coefficients are identified from controlled orthogonal cutting tests with a fast tool servo oscillated at the desired frequency to vary the phase between inner and outer modulations. It is shown that the process damping coefficient increases as the tool is worn, which increases the chatter stability limit in cutting. The chatter stability of the dynamic cutting process is solved using Nyquist law, and compared favourably against experimental results at low cutting speeds.
Minimizing the non-machining time of CNC machines requires optimal positioning of cutting tools on indexes (stations) of CNC machine turret magazine. This work presents a genetic algorithm with a novel solution representation and genetic operators to find the best possible index positions while tool duplicates and tools life are taken in to account during the process. The tool allocation in a machining process of a crankshaft with 10 cutting operations, on a 45-index magazine, is optimized for the entire life of the tools on the magazine. The tool-indexing time is considerably reduced compared to the current index positions being used in an automotive factory.
In the battery pack assembly, it is essential to ensure that the cell-to-busbar joints can be produced with high quality and with minimal impact on the individual battery cells. This study examines the influence of process parameters on the joint quality for nickel-plated copper and steel plates, laser welded in an overlap configuration. Artificial neural network-based meta models, trained on numerical results from computational fluid dynamics simulations of the laser welding process, are used to predict and evaluate the joint quality. A set of optimized process parameters is identified, in order to simultaneously maximize the interface width for the joints, and minimize the formation of undercuts and in-process temperatures. In an meta model-based multi-objective optimization approach, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is used to efficiently search for trade-off solutions and the meta models are used for objective approximation. As a result, the objective evaluation time is decreased from around 9 h, when evaluated directly from numerical simulations, to only tenths of a second. From the Pareto-optimal front of trade-off solutions, three optimal solutions are selected for validation. The selected solutions are validated through laser welding experiments and numerical simulations, resulting in joints with large interface widths and low in-process temperatures without a full penetration.
For battery pack assemblies, it is crucial that the laser welded cell-to-busbar joints demonstrate both high mechanical strength and minimal electrical resistance. The present study investigates the effect of different laser welding parameters, on the mechanical strength, electrical resistance, porosity formation and joint microstructure, for dissimilar material cell-to-busbar joints. Laser welding experiments are performed, on thin nickel-plated copper and steel plates. The plates are joined in an overlap configuration, using laser beam wobbling and power modulation. Both circular and sinusoidal laser beam wobbling are used as selected strategies to increase the interface width of the joints, where also a comparison is made between the two methods. The joint quality is evaluated using joint geometry analysis, shear strength tests, computed tomography scanning and electrical resistance measurements. The results show that circular laser beam wobbling gives a larger joint shear strength compared with sinusoidal laser beam wobbling. In addition, it is observed that both the total pore volume and material mixing are significantly increased with increasing laser power and wobbling frequency for circular laser beam wobbling. However, for the sinusoidal laser beam wobbling the wobbling frequency does not show a significant impact on the total pore volume.
Static form errors due to in-process deflections is a major concern in flank milling of thin-walled parts. To increase both productivity and part geometric accuracy, there is a need to predict and control these form errors. In this work, a modelling framework for prediction of the cutting force-induced form errors, or thickness errors, during flank milling of a thin-walled workpiece is proposed. The modelled workpiece geometry is continuously updated to account for material removal and the reduced stiffness matrix is calculated for nodes in the engagement zone. The proposed modelling framework is able to predict the resulting thickness errors for a thin-walled plate which is cut on both sides. Several cutting strategies and cut patterns using constant z-level finishing are studied. The modelling framework is used to investigate the effect of different cut patterns, machining allowance, cutting tools and cutting parameters on the resulting thickness errors. The framework is experimentally validated for various cutting sequences and cutting parameters. The predicted thickness errors closely correspond to the experimental results. It is shown from numerical evaluations that the selection of an appropriate cut pattern is crucial in order to reduce the thickness error. Furthermore, it is shown that an increased machining allowance gives a decreased thickness error for thin-walled plates.
In machining, the heat generated during the process deforms the components and the final shape might not meet specified tolerances. There is therefore a need for a compensation strategy which requires knowledge of the workpiece temperature field and the associated thermal distortions. In this work, a methodology is presented for the determination of the heat load for indexable insert drilling of AISI 4140. Compared to previous research, this work has introduced a varying heat load. The heat load is extracted from thermo-mechanical finite element simulations for different nominal chip thicknesses and cutting speeds using the coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation of an orthogonal turning process. The heat load is then transferred to a simplified 2D axisymmetric heat transfer model where the in-process temperature field in the workpiece is predicted. To verify the methodology, the predicted temperatures are compared to the experimentally measured temperatures for various feed rates. It is found that the model is capable of predicting the workpiece temperatures reasonably well. However, the methodology needs to be further explored to validate its applicability.
In machining, the heat flow into the workpiece during the cutting process is often a major concern. The temperature rise can lead to substantial residual stresses or elastic in-process deformations which may result in the dimensional tolerance requirements being violated. In the present study a modelling strategy is developed for determination of the heat load during indexable drilling. The heat load on the workpiece is determined from 3D thermomechanical Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian analyses of orthogonal turning for various chip thicknesses and cutting speeds. The determined heat load is then transferred to a 3D transient heat transfer analysis of the indexable drilling process for the determination of the temperature field. Thereby, this modelling technique avoids the complex cutting process that is performed in real cutting simulations and thereby reducing the computational complexity of the problem considerably. The simulated temperatures are compared with experimentally measured temperatures and some conclusions are drawn regarding the modelling approach.
We are describing a fully automatic in-line shape inspection system for controlling the shape of moving objects on a conveyor belt. The shapes of the objects are measured using a full-field optical shape measurement method based on photogrammetry. The photogrammetry system consists of four cameras, a flash, and a triggering device. When an object to be measured arrives at a given position relative to the system, the flash and cameras are synchronously triggered to capture images of the moving object.From the captured images a point-cloud representing the measured shape is created. The point-cloud is then aligned to a CAD-model, which defines the nominal shape of the measured object, using a best-fit method and a feature-based alignment method. Deviations between the point-cloud and the CAD-model are computed giving the output of the inspection process. The computational time to create a point-cloud from the captured images is about 30 seconds and the computational time for the comparison with the CAD-model is about ten milliseconds. We report on recent progress with the shape inspection system.
One of the main problems that exists when working with Finite Element Methods (FEM) applied to machining processes is the lack of adequate experimental data for simulating the material properties. Moreover, for damage models based on fracture energy, the correct selection of the energy value is critical for the chip formation process. It is usually difficult to obtain the fracture energy values and requires complex tests. In this work, an analysis of the influence of this fracture energy on the cutting force and the chip generation process has been carried out for different sets of cutting parameters. The aim is to present an empirical relationship, that allows selecting the fracture energy based on the cutting force and cutting parameters. The work is based on a FEM model of an orthogonal turning process for Ti6Al4V alloy using Abaqus/Explicit and the fracture energy empirical relation. This work shows that it is necessary to adjust the fracture energy for each combination of cutting conditions, to be able to fit the experimental results. The cutting force and the chip geometry are analyzed, showing how the developed model adapts to the experimental results. It shows that as the cutting speed and the feed increase, the fracture energy value that best adapts to the model decreases. The evolution shows a more pronounced decrease related to the feed increment and high cutting speed.
Surface crack defects can be detected by IR thermograpgy due to the high absorption of energy within the crack cavity. It is often difficult to detect the defect in the raw data, since the signal easily drowns in the background. It is therefore important to have good analysis algorithms that can reduce the background and enhance the defect. Here an analysis algorithm is presented which significantly increases the signal to noise ratio of the defects and reduces the image sequence from the camera to one image.
The purpose of this study is to investigate different NDT–methods for weld inspection in an objective manner. Test objects are produced with known variation of flaws: internal pores, surface and internal cracks, toe radius and weld depth. The NDT–methods compared are: phased array ultrasound, radiography, eddy current, thermography and shearography. The results show that radiography is the better method for volumetric defects in thin plates while ultrasound is better for flat defects and thicker, non–flat plates. The thermography was shown to have good surface defect detection abilities. A combination of ultrasound and thermography results in a detection of all the non–geometrical defects is investigated in this study.
Residual stress (RS) within titanium alloy structural components is the primary factor contributing to machining deformation. It comprises initial residual stress （IRS） and machined surface residual stress (MSRS), resulting from the interplay between IRS and high-level machining-induced residual stress MIRS). Machining deformation of components poses a significant challenge in the aerospace industry，and accurately assessing RS is crucial for precise prediction and control. However, current RS prediction methods struggle to account for various uncertainties in the component manufacturing process，leading to limited prediction accuracy. Furthermore, existing measurement methods can only gauge local RS in samples，which proves inefficient and unreliable for measuring RS fields in large components. Addressing these challenges, this paper introduces a method for simultaneously estimating IRS and MSRS within titanium alloy aircraft components using a Bayesian framework. This approach treats IRS and MSRS as unobservable fields modeled by Gaussian processes. It leverages observable deformation force data to estimate IRS and MSRS while incorporating prior correlations between MSRS fields. In this context，the prior correlation between MSRS fields is represented as a latent Gaussian process with a shared covariance function. The proposed method offers an effective means of estimating the RS field using deformation force data from a probabilistic perspective. It serves as a dependable foundation for optimizing subsequent deformation control strategies.
To advance quality assurance in the welding process, this study presents a deep learning (DL) model that enables the prediction of two critical welds’ key performance characteristics (KPCs): welding depth and average pore volume. In the proposed approach, a wide range of laser welding key input characteristics (KICs) is utilized, including welding beam geometries, welding feed rates, path repetitions for weld beam geometries, and bright light weld ratios for all paths, all of which were obtained from hairpin welding experiments. Two DL networks are employed with multiple hidden dense layers and linear activation functions to investigate the capabilities of deep neural networks in capturing the complex nonlinear relationships between the welding input and output variables (KPCs and KICs). Applying DL networks to the small numerical experimental hairpin welding dataset has shown promising results, achieving mean absolute error values of 0.1079 for predicting welding depth and 0.0641 for average pore volume. This, in turn, promises significant advantages in controlling welding outcomes, moving beyond the current trend of relying only on defect classification in weld monitoring to capture the correlation between the weld parameters and weld geometries.
Drilling of Ti6Al4V with worn tools can introduce superficial and easily measured features such as increase of cutting forces, entry and exit burrs and surface quality issues and defects. Such issues were presented in the part I of this paper. In part II, subsurface quality alterations,such as changes of the microstructure and microhardness variation is considered by preparing metallographic sections and measurement, mapping of the depth of grain deformation, and microhardness in these sections. Drastic changes in the microstructure and microhardness were found in sections drilled with drills with large wear lands, particularly in the dry cutting tests. These measurements emphasize the importance of detection of tool wear and ensuring coolant flow in drilling of holes in titanium components.
Cutting tool geometry design has traditionally relied on experimental studies; while engineering simulations, to the level of industrial deployment, have been developed only in the last couple of decades. With the development of simulation capability across length scales from micro to macro,cutting tool geometry development includes engineering data development for its efficient utilization. This calls for the design of a simulation-based approach in the design of cutting tool geometry so that the engineering data can be generated for different machining applications (e.g.digital twin). In this study, the needs for engineering model development of different stages of cutting tool design evaluation is assessed. To this end, some of the previously developed engineering models have been evaluated for evaluation of chip form morphology in industrially relevant nose turning process, work piece material behavior modeling and damage modeling for the prediction of chip shape morphology. The study shows the possibility for the developed models to act as building blocks of a digital twin. It also shows the need for engineering model development for different aspects of cutting tool design, its advantages, limitations, and prospects.
The finite element (FE) method based modeling of chip formation in machining provides the ability to predict output parameters like cutting forces and chip geometry. One of the important characteristics of chip morphology is chip segmentation. Majority of the literature within chip segmentation show cutting speed (vc) and feed rate (f) as the most influencing input parameters. The role of tool rake angle (α) on chip segmentation is limited and hence, the present study is aimed at understanding it. In addition, stress triaxiality’s importance in damage model employed in FE method in capturing the influence of α on chip morphology transformation is also studied. Furthermore, microstructure characterization of chips was carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to understand the chip formation process for certain cutting conditions. The results show that the tool α influences chip segmentation phenomena and that the incorporation of a stress triaxiality factor in damage models is required to be able to predict the influence of the α. The variation of chip segmentation frequency with f is predicted qualitatively but the accuracy of prediction needs improvement. © 2017 The Authors.
Machining process modeling has been an active endeavor for more than a century and it has been reported to be able to predict industrially relevant process outcomes. Recent advances in the fundamental understanding of material behavior and material modeling aids in improving the sustainability of industrial machining process. In this work, the flow stress behavior of C45E steel is modeled by modifying the well-known Johnson-Cook model that incorporates the dynamic strain aging (DSA) influence. The modification is based on the Voyiadjis-Abed-Rusinek (VAR) material model approach. The modified JC model provides the possibility for the first time to include DSA influence in chip formation simulations. The transition from continuous to segmented chip for varying rake angle and feed at constant cutting velocity is predicted while using the ductile damage modeling approach with two different fracture initiation strain models (Autenrieth fracture initiation strain model and Karp fracture initiation strain model). The result shows that chip segmentation intensity and frequency is sensitive to fracture initiation strain models. The Autenrieth fracture initiation strain model can predict the transition from continuous to segmented chip qualitatively. The study shows the transition from continuous chip to segmented chip for varying feed rates and rake angles for the first time. The study highlights the need for material testing at strain, strain rate, and temperature prevalent in the machining process for the development of flow stress and fracture models.
In this study, the flow stress behavior of ferritic-pearlitic steel (C45E steel) is investigated through isothermal compression testing at different strain rates (1 s-1, 5 s-1, and 60 s-1) and temperatures ranging from 200 to 700 °C. The stress-strain curves obtained from experimental testing were post-processed to obtain true stress-true plastic strain curves. To fit the experimental data to well-known material models, Johnson-Cook (J-C) model was investigated and found to have a poor fit. Analysis of the flow stress as a function of temperature and strain rate showed that among other deformation mechanisms dynamic strain aging mechanism was active between the temperature range 200 and 400 °C for varying strain rates and J-C model is unable to capture this phenomenon. This lead to the need to modify the J-C model for the material under investigation. Therefore, the original J-C model parameters A, B and n are modified using the polynomial equation to capture its dependence on temperature and strain rate. The results show the ability of the modified J-C model to describe the flow behavior satisfactorily while dynamic strain aging was operative. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
In five axis ball-end milling, the cutting edge is a continuous curve and the engagement with workpiece changes as the cutting tool rotates. Therefore the sensitivity to vibration varies along the cutting edge and as the tool rotates. In this paper, the vibration-force relationship (VFR) is obtained for infinitesimal length of cutting edge as a function of tool’s rotation angle. Numerical integration results in the VFR of the whole cutting edge and the tool. VFR of the tool is coupled to the dynamic vibration model of the tool and the workpiece to predict the possibility of vibrational instability. This algorithm is then used to predict the effects of changing the lead angle in a test setup with a flexible depth of cut direction. The analytical results, along with experiments demonstrate that the large lead angles considerably improve the stability of the process.
The prediction of chatter instability in machining steel and thermal-resistant alloys at low cutting speeds has been difficult due to unknown process damping contributed by the contact mechanism between tool flank and wavy surface finish. This thesis presents modeling and measurement of process damping coefficients, and the prediction of chatter stability limits for turning and milling operations at low cutting speeds. The dynamic cutting forces are separated into regenerative and process damping components. The process damping force is expressed as a product of dynamic cutting force coefficient and the ratio of vibration and cutting velocities. It is demonstrated that the dynamic cutting coefficient itself is strongly affected by flank wear land. In measurement of dynamic cutting forces, the regenerative force is eliminated by keeping the inner and outer waves parallel to each other while the tool is oscillated using a piezo actuator during cutting. Classical chatter stability laws cannot be used in stability prediction for general turning with tools cutting along non-straight cutting edges; where the direction and magnitude of the dynamic forces become dependent on the depth of cut and feed-rate. A new dynamic cutting force model of regeneration of chip area and process damping, which considers tool nose radius, feed–rate, depth of cut, cutting speed and flank wear is presented. The chatter stability is predicted in the frequency domain using Nyquist stability criterion. The process damping is considered in a new dynamic milling model for tools having rotating but asymmetric dynamics. The flexibility of the workpiece is studied in a fixed coordinate system but the flexibility of the tool is studied in a rotating coordinate system. The periodic directional coefficients are averaged, and the stability of the dynamic milling system is determined in the frequency domain using Nyquist stability criterion. The experimentally proven, proposed stability models are able to predict the critical depth of cut at both low and high cutting speeds.
Using modified Nyquist contours, the dominant poles of the closed loop delay-differential equation for machining systems such as milling are identified. Contours with constant damping ratio of the dominant poles are constructed using this method. These contours are similar in shape to the stability lobes, but move upwards and to the right as the instability parameter increases. Additionally, it is possible to study the movement of the dominant poles to the right-hand side of the complex plane as the system becomes unstable by increasing the depth of cut at a constant spindle speed. The movement of the dominant pole is shown to be towards the right (unstable) and upward (higher vibration frequency) of the complex plane. In some cases, there would be a jump of vibration frequency due to the change of the lobe number. It is also shown that the damping ratio of the structure strongly affects both the vibration frequency and the damping ratio of the dominant poles in the closed loop system. Finally, in two milling experiments with two different spindle speeds and continuously increasing depth of cuts, vibration frequencies are measured and compared to the theoretical predictions. The measurements agree with the theoretical predictions, particularly in the unstable cutting conditions.
Machining parameters needed for stable, high-performance high-speed machining could be found using mathematical models that need accurate measurements of modal parameters of the machining system. In-process modal parameters, however, can slightly differ from those measured offline and this can limit the applicability of simple measurement methods such as impact hammer tests. To study and extract the in-process modal parameters, mathematical models are used to define two key dimensionless parameters and establish their relationships with each other and the modal parameters. Based on these relationships, the modal parameters are extracted using two analytical methods, the two-point method (TPM), and the regression method (RM). As shown with experimental studies, the RM extracts the modal parameters successfully and while being much faster than the existing iteration-based methods, it provides stability lobe predictions that match well the experimental results. Furthermore, it is noted that the natural frequency parameter is estimated with much better relative precision compared to the damping ratio and the modal stiffness parameters. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
Study of the vibration frequencies at different cutting conditions is an alternative to the use of impact hammer test for identification of natural frequencies of the machining structure and calculation of stability lobe diagrams. Vibration frequencies not only depend on the natural frequencies of the structure, but also they are dependent on the spindle speed, damping ratio of the structure and the depth of cut. Ignoring these additional parameters would lead to errors in identification of the natural frequencies of the system and considerable deviation of the calculated stability lobe diagrams from actual cutting tests. In this study modified Nyquist method is used to investigate the effects of spindle speed, depth of cut and damping ratio of the structure on vibration frequencies. The quality of frequency prediction is compared to linear and nonlinear time domain simulations and machining experiments.
Unwanted vibration of the tool with respect to the workpiece, known as chatter, can damage machine tool, cutting tool, and the surface finish of the workpiece in a machining operation such a milling. These vibrations could be avoided by reducing the depth of cut, but this approach hurts the productivity and reduces material removal rate. Previous studies have established methods, known as stability prediction methods that provide that enable using large depth of cuts while avoiding chatter. The calculation of stability lobes commonly starts by measurement of dynamic properties of the machining structure. This paper investigates an alternative approach, in which vibration frequencies gathered during test cuts with the target machining system are used to identifying the modal parameters of the machining system in its operational condition. An earlier method that was based on a one dimensional dynamics model is modified to use relationships developed for a two dimensional model that describes the dynamics of spindles and tools with axisymmetric dynamics. This approach improves the stability lobe prediction considerably as shown in results.
Vibration frequencies in machining may be employed for calculation of natural frequencies of the dominant modes in chatter and selection of chatter-free spindle speeds with large material removal rates. In this approach, it is important to investigate the relationship between the vibration frequencies, the natural frequencies, spindle speeds and depth of cuts for both stable and unstable cutting conditions. In this paper, the dominant poles of the closed loop time delay differential equation of a milling operation are calculated by successive sectioning of the complex plane and using Cauchy's argument principle. Vibration frequency and damping ratio of the closed loop machining system for each cutting condition is calculated based on the position of the dominant pole on the complex plane which provides 3D plots of the vibration frequency and closed loop damping ratio over any range of depth of cuts and spindle speeds. Finally, the findings of the analytical approach are compared to a machining experiment and a time domain simulation and differences and similarities in their predictions are discussed.
This paper presents a chatter stability prediction method for milling flexible workpiece with end mills having asymmetric structural dynamics. The dynamic chip thickness regenerated by the vibrations of the rotating cutter and the fixed workpiece is transformed into the principle modal directions of the rotating tool. The process damping is modeled as a linear function of vibration velocity. The dynamics of the milling system is modeled by a time delay matrix differential equation with time varying directional factors and speed dependent elements. The periodic directional factors are averaged over a spindle period, and the stability of the resulting time invariant but speed dependent characteristic equation of the system is investigated using the Nyquist stability criterion. The stability model is verified with time domain numerical simulations and milling experiments.
The accurate prediction of chatter stability in general turning operations requires the inclusion of tool geometry and cutting conditions. This paper presents regenerative chip and regenerative chip area/cutting edge contact length based dynamic cutting force models, which consider cutting conditions and turning tool geometry. The cutting process is modeled as it takes place along the equivalent chord length between the two end points of the cutting edge. The regenerative chip model is simple, and the stability can be solved directly. However, the three-dimensional model considers the effect of tool vibrations at the present and previous spindle revolutions on the chip area, chord length, and force directions and is solved using Nyquist stability criterion. The penetration of worn tool flank into the finish surface is considered as a source of process damping. The effects of the nose radius, approach angle of the tool, and feedrate are investigated. The proposed stability model is compared favorably against the experimental results.
Titanium's Ti6Al4V, alloy is an important material with a wide range of applications in the aerospace industry. Due to its high strength, machining this material for desired quality at high material removal rate is challenging and may lead to high tool wear rate. As a result, this material may be machined with worn tools and the effects of tool wear on machining quality need to be investigated. In this experimental paper, it is shown how drills of various wear levels affect the cutting forces, surface quality and burr formation. Furthermore, it is shown that high cutting forces and high plastic deformation, along with high temperatures that arise in cutting with worn tools may lead to initiation of microscopic cracks in the workpiece material in proximity of the drilling zone.
Chatter vibrations encountered in machining can degrade surface finish and damage the machining hardware. Since chatter originates from unstable interaction of the machining process and the machining structure, information about vibration parameters of the machining structure should be used to predict combinations of cutting parameters that allow stable machining. While modal test methods, for example those with impact hammers, are widely used to identify structural parameters; the need for sophisticated test equipment is prohibitive in their use. Furthermore, dynamic properties of critical components of a machine tool may change as they get affected by cutting loads, material removal and spindle rotation. Recently few algorithms have been proposed that identify the in-process dynamic parameters by frequency measurements, thus avoiding these problems. In this paper, some of these algorithms are reviewed and their capabilities and limitations in processing am experimental data set are compared and discussed. © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Surface roughness is an important aspect of a machined piece and greatly influences its performance. This paper presents the surface roughness of end-milled aluminium plates in stable and unstable machining conditions at various spindle speed and depth of cuts machined with cylindrical end-mills. The surface roughness is measured using high-resolution surface replicas with a white light interferometry (WLI) microscope. The measurements of the end-milled floors show that the surface roughness as long as the cutting is performed in stable conditions is insensitive to the depth of cut or spindle speed. In contrast, within chattering conditions, which appear according to stability lobes, surface roughness values increase almost 100%. While at the valleys of the stability lobe diagram, there is a gradual increase in roughness, at the peaks of the stability lobe, the transition from the stable to unstable condition occurs with a sudden increase of the roughness values. In the study of down-milled walls, while the roughness increases with the depth of cut within both the stable and the chattering regions, the transition from the stable to chattering condition can lead to a much larger increase in the surface roughness. These results could be used for strategic selection of operation considering the needs of robustness and possible variation of dynamic parameters that can affect the position of the cutting conditions within the stability lobe diagrams.
Axis Tracking Errors (ATEs) of the active and inactive axis of numerically controlled machine tools are presented as new means of detection of tool wear that forgo expensive sensors or modifications of the machining structure, however, very little has been published about their capabilities or limitations as signal source for monitoring. In this paper the ATEs and cutting forces in drilling tests in two different machine tools, with drills of varying wear levels are measured. The sensitivity to wear is compared by introducing Percent Deviation from New Tool (PDFNT) factor, which is applied to the peak-to-peak values of the signals. While the ATEs are very small in magnitude, they are highly sensitive to wear levels, with PDFNTs reaching to 1000% for some axis. In addition, the standard deviation of PDFNTs calculated in drilling of seven holes with the same tool represents the repeatability of ATEs. The PDFNTs for ATEs are rather repeatable, but less repeatable than the PDFNTs of the axial drilling force. Furthermore it is shown that ATEs of different machine tools have different levels of sensitivity to wear levels which necessitates calibrating of monitoring systems using ATEs for each machine tool separately.
In this work, Slow Strain Rate Test (SSRT) testing, Light Optical Microscopy (LOM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to study the effect of microstructure, corrosive environments and cathodic polarisation on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of two grades of high strength steels, Type A and Type B. Type A is manufactured by quench and tempered (Q&T) method. Type B, a normalize steel was used as reference. This study also supports electrochemical polarisation resistance method as an effective testing technique for measuring the uniform corrosion rate. SSRT samples were chosen from base metal, weld metal and Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). SSRT tests were performed at room temperature under Open Circuit Potential (OCP) and cathodic polarisation using 4 mA/cm2 in 1 wt% and 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions. From the obtained corrosion rate measurements performed in 1 wt% and 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions it was observed that increased chloride concentration and dissolved oxygen content enhanced the uniform corrosion for all tested materials. Moreover, the obtained results from SSRT tests demonstrate that both Q&T and normalized steels were not susceptible to SCC in certain strain rate (1×10-6 s-1) in 1 wt% and 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions under OCP condition. It was confirmed by a ductile fracture mode and high reduction in area. The weld metal of Type A with acicular ferrite (AF), pro-eutectoid (PF) and bainite microstructure showed higher susceptibility to hydrogen assisted stress corrosion cracking compared to base metal and HAZ. In addition, typical brittle intergranular cracking with small reduction in area was observed on the fracture surface of the Type A due to hydrogen charging.
Abstract Plastic deformation of the matrix during the wear process results in closing the graphite flakes. In this study, the relationship between the deformation of the matrix and the closing tendency of flake graphite was investigated, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Two representative piston rings, which belonged to the same two-stroke marine engine but were operated for different periods of time, were studied. Initial microstructural observations indicated a uniform distribution of graphite flakes on unworn surfaces, whereas worn surfaces demonstrated a tendency towards a preferred orientation. Approximately 40% of the open flakes of the unworn surfaces were closed during sliding, which may result in the deterioration of the self-lubricating capability of cast iron. Moreover, flakes within the orientation range of 0 to 30° relative to the sliding direction showed a maximum closing tendency when subjected to sliding. The closing tendency gradually decreased as the angle increased, approaching a minimum between 30 and 70°. A slight increase in the closing tendency was observed for flakes with orientations between 70 and 90°. A similar trend was observed on both rings. Furthermore, SEM and EDS analysis indicated substantial deformation of the matrix in the area around the flakes. An insignificant corrosion attack was observed on both worn piston ring surfaces.
This study had the purpose to further the use of industrial lasers in the manufacturing of hairpin electric motors by optimizing the process of contacting the hairpins. A problem with laser beam welding of copper is the porosity created in the process which can lead to increased resistance of the welded region along with degraded mechanical properties. By experiment this study aimed to find the optimal parameters to reduce the porosity while maintaining all other requirements for the weld. The track of achieving a satisfactory simulation was done to minimize the need of physical experiments which can be argued as a sustainable development aspect. A set of parameters was found that achieved a low volume of pores, a sufficient weld depth and a desirable bead geometry. Some pores still remained, mostly at the endpoint of the laser path which could be caused by the laser shut-off leading to a keyhole collapse enclosing some pores in that region. The simulation showed promising results in welding depth and melt region. Further work on ramping the laser power at the endpoint could be beneficial for eliminating the remaining porosity as well as refining the simulation in terms of porosity.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the tool performance when machining compacted graphite iron (CGI) alloys. A comparison was made between solid solution strengthened CGI including various amounts of silicon (Si-CGI) and the pearlitic-ferritic CGI as a reference material. The emphasis was on examining the influence of microstructure and mechanical properties of the material on tool wear in face milling process. Machining experiments were performed on the engine-like test pieces comprised of solid solution strengthened CGI with three different silicon contents and the reference CGI alloy. The results showed up-to 50% lower flank wear when machining Si-CGI alloys, although with comparable hardness and tensile properties. In-depth analysis of the worn tool surfaces showed that the abrasion and adhesion were the dominant wear mechanisms for all investigated alloys. However, the better tool performance when machining Si-CGI alloys was mainly due to a lower amount of abrasive carbo-nitride particles and the suppression of pearlite formation in the investigated solid solution strengthened alloys.
The keyhole depth is a key measurement characteristic in the laser welding of busbar to battery tabs in battery packs for electric vehicles (EV), as it directly affects the quality of the weld. In this work, experiments are carried out with controlled and adjusted laser power and feed rate parameters to investigate the influence on the keyhole width, keyhole depth and porosities. A 3D numerical model of laser keyhole welding of an aluminum alloy (A1050) has been developed to describe the porosity formation and the keyhole depth variation. A new integration model of the recoil pressure and the rate of evaporation model is implemented which is closer to the natural phenomena as compared to the conventional methods. Additionally, major physical forces are employed including plume formation, upward vapor pressure and multiple reflection in the keyhole. The results show that keyhole depth is lower at higher feed rate, while lower feed rates result in increased keyhole depth. This study reveals that low energy densities result in an unstable keyhole with high spattering, exacerbated by increased laser power. Mitigating incomplete fusion is achieved by elevating laser energy density. The findings emphasize the critical role of keyhole depth in optimizing laser welding processes for applications like busbar-to-battery tab welding.
Coolant channels allow internal coolant delivery to the cutting region and significantly improve drilling, but these channels also reduce the torsional and torsional-axial stiffness of the drills. Such a reduction in stiffness can degrade the quality of the drilled holes. The evacuation of cutting chips and the delivery of the cutting fluid put strict geometrical restrictions on the cross-section design of the drill. This necessitates careful selection and optimization of features such as the geometry of the coolant channels. This paper presents a new method that uses Prandtl’s stress function to predict the torsional and torsional-axial stiffness values. Using this method drills with one central channel are compared to those with two eccentric coolant channels, which shows that with the same cross-section area, the reduction of axial and torsional-axial stiffness is notably smaller for the design with two eccentric channels compared to a single central channel. The stress function method is further used to select the appropriate location of the eccentric coolant channels to minimize the loss of torsional and torsional-axial stiffness. These results are verified by comparison to the results of three-dimensional finite element analyses.
Holes are made in many industrial parts that need screws, pins or channels for passing fluids. The general method to produce holes in metal cutting is by drilling operations. Indexable insert drills are often used to make short holes at a low cost. However, indexable drills are prone to vibrate under certain circumstances, causing vibrations that affect tool life. Therefore, a good prediction of cutting-forces in drilling is important to get a good description of the cutting process for optimization of tool body and insert design. Reliable simulations of dynamic forces also aid in prediction of chatter vibrations that have significant effects on the quality of the manufactured parts as well as the tool life. In this paper, a mechanistic approach is used to model the cutting-forces. Cutting-force coefficients are identified from measured instantaneous forces in drilling operations. These coefficients are used for simulating torque around drill-axis, axial force and cutting-forces in the plane perpendicular to drill-axis. The forces are modeled separately for peripheral and central insert, which results in a detailed description of the cutting-forces acting on each insert. The forces acting on each insert are estimated by dividing the cutting edges into small segments and the cutting-forces acting on each segment are calculated. The total forces are predicted by summation of the forces acting on each segment. Simulated torque and forces are compared to measured cutting-forces for two different feeds. A good agreement between predicted and experimental results, especially in torque and axial-force, is observed.
This paper proposes a guideline for interpreting frequency content and time history of sound measurements in metal drilling processes. Different dynamic phenomena are reflected in generated sound in cutting processes. The footprint of such phenomena including torsional, lateral regenerative chatter and whirling in sound measurement results are discussed. Different indexable insert drills, at several cutting conditions, are covered. The proposed analysis could be used for studying, online monitoring and controlling of drilling processes. © 2017 The Authors.
In drills with helical chip flutes the coupling between axial and rotational degrees-of-freedom can cause chatter vibrations. These torsional-axial chatter vibrations can lead to a high frequency and unpleasant noise. It is desirable to design tools which are less prone to chatter vibrations and thus also makes less noise during operation. Dynamics of chatter vibrations in drilling is due to changes in chip-thickness that causes dynamic loads on the structure. These loads in return contribute and sustain vibrations. In this paper a simulation routine is proposed that can be used to model these chatter vibrations in drilling when damping of the drill-body is low. In case of low damping, the drill rotates backward in some instants. The importance of modeling of this phenomenon is emphasized in this paper and a method is proposed to model loads in case of backward rotations. The generated chip is calculated in each time-step and obtained chip-thickness is used to calculate dynamic loads. The structural responses are calculated in form of displacements by loading the drill with predicted dynamic loads based on the calculated chip thickness. Obtained displacements are used to calculate chip-thickness in the next time-step. Spectrum of simulated vibrations is compared with spectrum of measured noise and a good agreement between measurements and simulations is observed.
Regenerative chatter vibrations are common in drilling processes. These unwanted vibrations lead to considerable noise levels, damage the quality of the workpiece, and reduce tool life. The aim of this study is to simulate torsional and axial chatter vibrations as they play important roles in dynamic behavior of indexable insert drills with helical chip flutes. While asymmetric indexable drills are not the focal points in most of previous researches, this paper proposes a simulation routine which is adapted for indexable drills. Based on the theory of regenerative chatter vibration, a model is developed to include the asymmetric geometries and loadings that are inherent in the design of many indexable insert drills. Most indexable insert drills have two inserts located at different radial distances, namely central and peripheral inserts. Since the positions of the central and peripheral inserts are different, the displacement and thereby the change in chip thickness differs between the inserts. Additionally, the inserts have different geometries and cutting conditions, e.g., rake angle, coating, and cutting speed, which result in different cutting forces. This paper presents a time-domain simulation of torsional and axial vibrations by considering the differences in dynamics, cutting conditions, and cutting resistance for the central and peripheral inserts on the drill. The time-domain approach is chosen to be able to include nonlinearities in the model arising from the inserts jumping out of cut, multiple delays, backward motions of edges, and variable time delays in the system. The model is used to simulate cutting forces produced by each insert and responses of the system, in the form of displacements, to these forces. It is shown that displacements induced by dynamic torques are larger than those induced by dynamic axial forces. Finally, the vibration of a measurement point is simulated which is favorably comparable to the measurement results.
The risk of vibration in machining can be estimated by identification of the transfer functions of the system. Traditionally the transfer functions may be identified through the use of an impact hammer and a force transducer. This technology needs wiring and therefore cannot be easily used in a production environment. Through the use of the sound that is picked up from the running process, the simplified stability diagram of the system can be deduced. Mobile platforms, like phones and pads can be used to record the sound of the process. The computational capability of these devices are now enough to render the possibility to include the theory and modelling into these devices to make it possible to analyze the process in question as it is running and from that give recommendations to modify the process for minimization of the chatter vibrations. The paper outlines the theoretical considerations and strategy employed to make it possible to develop a useful solution for end-users on the shop floor.