Integration of Vibration Absorbers in Milling Chucks

The use of cutting tool systems with a high slenderness ratio is encountered in the machining of deep cavities in the mechanical engineering industry, especially in the manufacturing of tools and dies. Cutting tool systems with a large slenderness ratio, owing to their dynamic compliance, are prone to vibrations during machining processes. These vibrations affect the quality of the machining process and the life of machine components. Integration of a vibration absorber in the cutting tool system helps in the reduction of machining vibrations. The reduction in vibrations is due to a shift in the resonance frequency of the modified system. This experimental study presents the identification of design possibilities of a vibration absorber for integration in the cutting tool system. The mass and geometry of the vibration absorber are varied and its integration in the milling chuck is explored. Firstly, experimental modal analysis is conducted to determine the effects of the dynamic vibration absorber on the frequency response function of the modified cutting tool system. Secondly, the effects of the dynamic vibration absorber on the machining process for a range of technology parameters are illustrated. During the machining process, the cutting forces are measured using a three-component dynamometer in time domain. Finally, the results are evaluated based on process quality, i.e. surface roughness and analysis of cutting force signal in the frequency domain. This study provides an understanding of the relationship between the mass and the geometry of the vibration absorber integrated in the cutting tool system and their influence on process stability.