Development and testing of an active boring bar for increased chatter immunity

摘要

Recent advances in smart materials have renewed interest in the development of improved manufacturing processes featuring sensing, processing, and active control. In particular, vibration suppression in metal cutting has received much attention because of its potential for enhancing part quality while reducing the time and cost of production. Although active tool clamps have been recently demonstrated, they are often accompanied by interfacing issues that limit their applicability to specific machines. Under the auspices of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, the project titled 'Smart Cutting Tools for Precision Manufacturing' developed an alternative approach to active vibration control in machining. Using the boring process as a vehicle for exploration, a commercially available tool was modified to incorporate PZT stack actuators for active suppression of its bending modes. Since the modified tool requires no specialized mounting hardware, it can be readily mounted on many machines. Cutting tests conducted on a horizontal lathe fitted with a hardened steel workpiece verify that the actively damped boring bar yields significant vibration reduction and improved surface finishes as compared to an unmodified tool.