Improvement in Machining Stability of Thin-Walled Blades by Tension

PurposeOwing to the thin-walled structure of blade, machining chatter occurs easily in blade machining processes. Moreover, material removal in machining has a non-negligible effect on the modality of the blade and can intensify the occurrence of machining chatter.MethodsTo solve this problem, we introduce a method of applying tension on the blade to reduce the peak value of the frequency response function and improve the machining stability. In this study, the mode shape diagram and natural frequency of the initial thin-walled blade are analysed using finite element software. Subsequently, the influence of material removal on the frequency response function of the blade is studied. Additionally, the machining stability of a thin-walled blade is predicted by introducing a prediction model of stability by considering the effect of material removal on the modal parameters. Furthermore, the response displacement of the blade under the application of tensile force is investigated, and the stability lobe diagram is plotted based on frequency response function analysis.Results and conclusionsThe results show that applying tensile force on thin-walled blades is an effective method to reduce the system response displacement and improve the machining stability. It is well known that the machining stability limits of a blade can be improved with tensile force. To validate the prediction results, a device for applying tensile force to thin-walled blades is designed, and modal measurement and blade machining experiments are conducted.