Active Control of Machine-Tool Chatter

Abstract

Regenerative chatter is recognized as one of the primary performance limitations of a machine tool. In the past much attention has been focused on minimizing this problem by improving the dynamic compliance of the structure. These approaches have been of a passive nature, such as increasing the structural damping, increasing the rigidity, addition of a vibration absorber, etc. The present work is one of two known basic contributions to the literature in the field of active chatter control. This paper includes an analysis of a machine tool equipped with an active chatter control system. In addition, experimental results are presented for such a control system applied to an engine lathe. The analysis, verified by the experimental results, indicated significant improvements in production rate, in transient response, and in static stiffness.