Prediction of chatter in high speed milling including gyroscopic effects

Dynamic stability of machine tools during operations is dependent on many parameters including the spindle speed. In high and ultra high speed machining, the gyroscopic effect on the spindle dynamics becomes more pronounced and can affect the borders of stability of the rotating system. In this paper, a finite element based model of spindle, tool holder and cutting tool is presented which uses Timoshenko beam theory to obtain the frequency response of the system when gyroscopic terms are included. Using this response, the stability of a high speed spindle system in the presence of gyroscopic effect is investigated. It is shown that the gyroscopic effects lower the critical depth of cut in high speed milling. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.