OPTIMAL FEED RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR FRICTION DRILLING

The presented paper contains the results of research aimed at developing optimal strategies for controlling the feed rate in the friction drilling process. In particular, the use of linear variable feed rate for individual drilling stages and adaptive feed rate control have been tested. The experiments were carried out with the use of a CNC machine tool equipped with an axial force and torque sensor. Correlation between thrust force and torque was shown, respectively, in relation to the feed drive load and the drive of machine tool spindle. Based on this, a feed rate sensorless control strategy was created to protect against excessive and long-term overload both of the tool and the drives. The following assessment criteria were considered: drilling cycle time, maximum values of thrust and torque, maximum values of feed drive load and drive of machine tool spindle, maximum power and energy effect in the form of work necessary to perform during the drilling process and forming the hole flange. The obtained test results, made for low-carbon steel with a tungsten carbide tool, indicate the advantage of the approach based on the linear variable feed rate and adaptive control over the traditional drilling process based on the step change of the feed rate, according to the recommendations given by the tool manufacturers.