Vibration of machine tools

With the modern trend of machine tool development , accuracy and reliability are gradually
becoming more prominent features. To achieve higher accuracy and productivity it is not
enough to design the machine tools from static considerations without considerating the
dynamic instability of the machine tools. If these be any relative viratory motion present
between the cutting tool and the job, it is obvious that the performance of the machine tool
will not be satisfactory. More over machine tool vibration has deterimental effect on tool life
which in turn , lower down the productivity and increases cost of production.
The effects of vibration
The effect of vibration can be considered on four main parts
1)The effect of vibration on he machine tool
2)The effect of vibration on the cutting condition.
3) The effect of vibration on the work piece.
4) The effect of vibration on the tool life.

1)The effect of vibration on the machine tool

The effect of vibration on the machine tool can be disastrous. If the frequency of vibration
coinsides with the natural frequency of any mode of the machine tool, it may result in
complete or partial destruction of the machine besides, undue vibration may also decrease the
life of the machine tools.
2)The effect of vibration on the cutting condition
These are mainly three effects on the cutting conditions
i)Chip thickness variation effect
ii)Penetration rate variation effect
iii)Cutting speed variation effect

i)

Chip thickness variation effect

The vibration has a deterimental effect on the chip thickness. The chip thickness which is
constant during a vibration free cutting process, is not at all constant when vibration is
present in the process . Due to the variation of chip thickness cutting force also varies.
ii)

Penetration rate variation effect

Due to the presence of vibration during machining process the penetration rate or feed rate
also varies. Due to the this variation the penetration resistance also varies if Ro be the
nominal penetration rate then.
iii)

Cutting speed variation effect

If the variation is present during the machining process then cutting speed will also change
due to the vibration. If Vo be the nominal cutting speed, the actual cutting speed V will be
equal to Vo +dv.
V= Vo + Dv
V = Vo + dx(t)/dt
3) The effect of vibration on the work piece.
The major effect of the vibration on the workpiece is worsened surface finish. This is very
important for grinding machines, becouse grinding operation is a finishing operation. Again
when vibration becomes excessive then dimensional accuracy of the job may also be effected.
Eisele has shown that the chatter marks can lead to calculation chatter vibration frequency.
Chatter marks themselves are contrued as proofs for effects of vibration on the surface of
work piece
4) The effect of vibration on the tool life.
The cutting variabels are affected by the vibration as such it is expected that tool life will also
be affected by the tool vibration, because tool life is the function of the cutting variable only.
The tool life is given by
T=K/(Vx Sm t)

Which shows the dependance of tool life on cutting variables. In most of the cases (x) is
much larger then the m ie., the effect of the variation of v on T is much more than
those of S and t.
Where = V- Cutting speed
t- width of cut
S- uncut thickness.
Source of vibration
For controlling and ellimination of vibration, the source of vibration must be searched out.
They are five main sources of vibration
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

In homogenicties in the workpiece material.

Built up edge in the cutting tools
Unbalanced and the disturbance in the drives
Intermittent cutting
Transmittion of vibration from the ground which vibrates due to other reasons

1)

Inhomogenities in the workpiece material

When a homogeneous material is machined,the cutting force which deflects the elastic tool
and tool holder,remains more or less constant.But if there be any in homogenity present in the
material and impulsive force will be generated due to the sudden increament of the hardness
of the workpiece material.As an effect of this impulsive a free vibration is setup in the cutting
tool and also in the machine tool body.If the system is dynamically stable the vibration

initiated by the impulsive force will die out but if the system is unstable then the effect may
be considerable.
2)

Vibration due to built up edge

There are some cases of vibration which are neither forced nor self-excited.One such is due to
built up edges which change the instantaneous rake angle.Built up edge has got also the
similar effect as that of in homogenities in the material but that is not actually due to the
workpiece material.

3)

Disturbances in the drives

Disturbances in te drives may be of two typesi)due to the disturbance in rotating driving members of the machine tool.This type of
disturbances may be generated due to many reasons.Some of the reasons are
a)Rotating unbalanced mass
b)Faulty arrangement of drive
c)Fault in supporting bearingsw

A)

Rotating unbalanced mass-

Effect of rotating unbalanced mass becomes more prominent when ratating bodies or parts
are supported on the top of slender parts. So, when designing a machine tool, rotating
members should be placed in such a position that the effect of unbalanced becomes
minimum. Though the best method to balance the rotating parts , it may not be always
possible and so rotating parts can be isolated by ussual technique to avoid machine tool
vibration.
b) Faulty arrangement of drive
Faulty arrangement of drive may also produse vibration. If the driving gears have
ecentricities, pitch errors, profile errors etc. Then they will produce non uniform ratation
which may contribute to the vibration of the machine tools. For this reason is precision
machines belt drives are used instead of gear drives. The belt drives also may give rise to
vibration. If the section o the belt used be non uniform the effective pulley radius will change
periodically causing a periodic variation of the belt tension.
c) Fault in the supporting bearings

If the bearings supporting the rotating members of the machine tool be faulty, the rotating
members will not be fixed in position and will change position periodically depending on the
nature of fault.
ii) The second grouop is the disturbance in the members of the machine tools executing
rectilinear motion. This type of vibration may be due to reciprocating unbalance or it may be
self induced vibration commonly known as stick slip motion . The main cause of stick up
motion is the variation of coefficient of friction with velocity between the rubing surface.

4)

Vibration due to intermitted cuttingWhen the cutting process itself is intermittent or periodically discontinous then cutting force
becomes fluctuating or dynamic cutting force which is transmited to the machine tool via the
cutting tool and job, it is quite likely that a force vibration will be generated due to the elastic
nature of the system. Now , if the frequency of the force fluctuating false in the range of any
natural frequency of the machine, the vibration may be severe. Most common types of

1)
2)

intermittent cutting are

Cutting with discontinous chip formation
Milling

5)

Transmission of vibration from vibrating foundation

In any machine shop floor there will be various machine and if anywhere dynamic force
through vibration is transmitted to the ground, the machine shop floor will vibrate. Now this
vibration may be transmited to a precision machine through its foundation and spoil the job
Of course , this can be minimised by isolating the machine tool from the ground in usual way.
But one thing must be remembered that the application of isolators changes the foundation
characteristics of machine tool lowering the stiffness and the machine becomes more
susceptible to the vibration

MACHINE TOOL CHATTER

Machine tool can be vibrate due to the cutting process itself under some particular condition.
In these cases exciting force is not coming from an outside element , it is supplied by the
cutting process itself. These types of vibration are self induced and comonly known as
machine tool chatter.
Basical in stability or chatter may arise through either or both of fundamental principlei)

Introduction of negative dumping coefficient either through the cutting process itself or

ii)

through interaction with system parameters

Instability through directional effect of the model receptance
Den Hartog defined the characteristics of self excited vibration as in a self excited
vibration the alternative force that sustained the motion is created or controlled by the motion
itself and when the motion stops, the alternating force disappears, while in a forced vibration

the sustaining alternating force excits independently of the motion and persist even when the
vibratory motion is stopped
The distinction between a self excited and a force vibration system is , therefore the former is
self sustaining, drawing its energy from an extraneous agency by its own periodic motion
while the latter is controlled by the characteristics of an external alternating energy source
self excited vibration therefore occurs at frequency closed to the natural frequency of the
undamped system while steady state forced vibration occurs at the frequency of the
alternating external energy source.