Plate insertion as a means to improve the damping capacity of a cutting tool system

Effective chatter prevention during cutting operations is achieved by increasing the damping capacity of a cutting tool system. It is well known that damping capacity is generated through (i) micro-slip at the interface between the tool shank and tool post, (ii) slip at the grain boundary within a vibrating body (that is, internal friction), and (iii) friction between the surface of the vibrating body and the surrounding air. Among these three causes of damping capacity, micro-slip at the interface between the tool shank and tool post is the greatest factor affecting the damping capacity of the cutting tool system. In the research investigation, it is shown that the damping capacity of a cutting tool system is improved by friction acting between the inner wall of a rectangular hole made at the overhanging shank of the cutting tool system and the surface of a plate inserted into this rectangular hole. The damping capacity improvement proposed in this paper is realized by a mechanism similar to the inner friction mechanism. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.