Dynamic Behavior of a Thin-Walled Cylindrical Workpiece During the Turning Process, Part 1: Cutting Process Simulation

From a practical point of view, in machining applications, chatter vibration constitutes a major problem during the cutting process. It is becoming increasingly difficult to suppress chatter during cutting at high speeds. Many investigators have regarded chatter vibrations as a “natural” phenomenon during the cutting process and a part of the process itself. In classical machining operations with thick-walled workpieces chatter vibrations occur when the cutting depth exceeds stability limits dependent on the machine tool. On the other hand, in the case of thin-walled cylindrical workpieces, chatter vibration problems are not so simple to formulate. The main purpose of this study is to qualify the dynamic behavior of a thin-walled workpiece during the turning process. It contains two parts: the cutting process simulation and the definition of experimental stability criteria. In the first part, a numerical model, which simulates the turning process of thin-walled cylindrical workpieces, is proposed. This model also permits obtaining workpiece responses to excitation generated by cutting forces. Finally, the stability of the process is discussed.