Milling Strategies for Thin-Walled Components

Abstract

Recent developments in the Aerospace industry have led to thin-walled, reduced-weight engine designs. Due to demands in manufacturing, production speeds and material removal rates (MRR) have increased. As component wall thickness gets thinner, the consequence oftentimes is an increase in chatter vibrations. This paper suggests that a correctly chosen tool-to-workpiece offset geometry may lead to a robust and chatter-free process. The results show the differences in force response for three geometries while varying the overhang of the workpiece. This is part of a concerted effort to develop a robust methodology for the prediction of chatter vibrations during milling operations of thin-walled Aerospace components. This paper outlines certain robust machining practices. It also analyzes the criticality of the choice of offset between tool and workpiece during milling setup as well as the effects that the entry and exit of cut have on system vibrations.