Putting Cutting Tool Vibration Control to the Test

 

For cutting tools, a passive approach to vibration control requires the use of short, rigid tools and replacement of steel toolholders with those made of stiff tungsten carbide.

A passive/dynamic approach to vibration control for cutting tools applies the tuned mass damper concept. The Steadyline system from Seco Tools, for example, features a pre-tuned vibration damper consisting of a heavy metal mass suspended inside the toolholder bar. The damper mass is made of high-density material to minimize its overall dimensions and absorb vibration as it is transmitted by the cutting tool to the body of the bar.

A good example of the Steadyline system’s effectiveness involved a difficult boring operation in 42CrMo4 steel where a cylindrical bore was enlarged to a conical 5.079" (129 mm) bore in five roughing passes at a 0.118" (3 mm) depth of cut decreasing to 0 depth. With a bar 3.150" (80 mm) in diameter, the initial cutting length was 23.622" (600 mm), representing an extended tool length-to-diameter ratio of 7.5 to 1…READ MORE.