An Investigation of Stability Analysis of Face Milling of Cantilever Plates at Low Cutting Speeds

Considering the production requirement of workpiece optimization in order to reduce mass, the dynamic behavior of a workpiece can be affected. This factor can influence the performance of the milling process due to the occurrence of chatter vibrations. On the other hand, when the recommended cutting speed is relatively low, the tool rubs against the workpiece surface causing process damping. Consequently, the process becomes more stable and hence the depth of cut can be increased. In this paper, the stability of face milling of a cantilever plate at low cutting speed is investigated. The stability lobes diagram is determined numerically considering process damping. Cutting tests are conducted in order to verify the simulated results. An accelerometer is attached to the workpiece and its signal is measured and analyzed. Both workpiece surface and roughness are also investigated. The experimental results show a good agreement with the stability lobes diagram to predict the stable region under process damping. Hence, the depth of cut can be considerably increased, keeping the process stable at low cutting speeds.