Reduce vibration in gas turbine machining

It is impossible to avoid problems of insta- damped tooling, but are not the only deci-
bility and vibration in metal cutting sive factors. The environmental demands
processes, as they arise inherently from the and regulations set in machine shops are
tendency of the cutting forces themselves to continually becoming more demanding,
disrupt dimensional accuracy. For example, especially in regard to the permitted noise
in internal turning the only cutting force levels. Vibration during the machining
component which does not need to be operation is a primary source of sound, so
counteracted with some form of compensa- using correctly balanced ‘silent’ tooling will
tory support is the axial force. The other reduce the noise levels dramatically.
forces can all cause problems: the radial This chapter discusses the reduction of
cutting force bends the tool out and away vibrations during selected machining tasks
from the cutting zone in such a way that of particular significance for gas turbine
the diameter of the hole is affected, while components. More detailed information can
the tangential force bends the tool down- be found in the separate application guide
wards and away from the centre line, which ‘Reduce Vibrations In Metal Cutting’.
the tool is designed to follow. The result is
that the clearance angle at the insert edge is
affected, and the insert edge fails to main-
tain the correct rake angle. Continuing
stock removal while the insert’s position is
disrupted by these forces inevitably results
in vibration, and once the process has
started it can frequently become self-per-
petuating. Good surface finish cannot be
maintained under these conditions, so a
poor surface is often the first sign that the
cutting forces are not being sufficiently
damped.
Better productivity, better surface finish,
increased tool-life and better tolerances are
the obvious benefits of employing correctly

110
Silent Tools™ for internal turning
Silent Tools are holding tools which have a
damper inside the tool shank, and it is this
damper which imparts their characteristic
dynamic stiffness, meaning their stiffness
against vibration. Only a short time ago the
use of silent tools was considered to be
exotic and complicated, but this is not the
case today. Modern silent tools are easy to
use, and need no more setting up than a
normal solid boring bar.

A B D

The passive damper inside a silent tool con-
sists mainly of a heavy tuning body (B) sus-
pended in two rubber bushes (C), one at
each end of the tuning body. The gap
between the central tube and damper body
is filled by a special viscous liquid (D). If
vibration should arise during the machining
process, the damper will immediately react
against the radial movement, and the
kinetic energy of the bar will be absorbed
in the tuning system, minimising the vibra-
tion.

k
There are certain limitations which accom- L
pany the change to silent tools. Under nor-
mal circumstances the specialised design of
the tool body makes it impossible to dmm
L
machine components which require a tool
overhang of more than 10 x dmm – beyond
this, the damping apparatus cannot function dmm
properly. There are ways around this L
restriction however, and special cemented
carbide reinforced bars are available which
dmm
allow overhangs of 14 x dmm. L/
dmm

111
 Other constraints are likely if the machin- workpiece, so the size of the tool holder
ing operation involves internal turning, can be selected which adequately resists the
where the choice of tool and the available forces and stresses arising during the opera-
overhang is inevitably going to be restricted tion.
by the design and geometry of the compo-
nent. With external turning the tool over-
hang is not affected by the length of the

A general rule which applies to all machin- When the overhang increases beyond 4 x
ing is to minimize the tool overhang (L) in dmm, then vibration problems can become
order to obtain the best possible stability more apparent, and silent tools enter the
and accuracy of cut, and with internal turn- picture as a good potential solution.
ing it is the depth of the hole which will
determine the minimum overhang which is
possible in practice. With larger tool diame-
ters (dmm) the stability increases, but
machining options will again be constrained
by the available space. The relationship
between L and dmm is critical for any
machining operation, and has a direct influ-
ence on the stability of the process: the
smaller the L/dmm ratio can be made, the
better the stability obtained for the opera-
tion.
In principle. machining holes with depths 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4
4 x dmm 3 x dmm
up to four times the diameter of the boring 7 x dmm
bar does not create any vibration problems 10 x dmm
12 x dmm
– provided of course that all other cutting
14 x dmm 4 x dmm
conditions have been correctly calculated
and the most suitable inserts selected.

112
Positioning silent bars
Before employing silent tools, it may be
that the easiest adaptation to counteract
vibration is to simply change the position
of a standard bar, reducing the effective
length of the overhang. But once silent bars
are in use, this simple modification is not
possible. Since the bars have a damper
inside the tool shank, there is obviously not
only a maximum allowable overhang, but
also a minimum below which the design
cannot correctly function. A maximum and
minimum overhang are laser marked on the
bars for this reason.

The lining-up of the bars when setting up
the machine is crucial, since if the tool is set
just a few degrees off line this can give rise
to vibration. The traditional way to align
bars from Ø32 and upwards is with a spirit
level on the flat of the 570 style cutting
head, but 570 products from Ø16 to Ø25
now also have an easyfix location groove.

Setting with a spirit level. Marking a line on the tool and holder.

113
 Special versions of silent bars
Special versions of silent bars can be
tapered, elliptical and/or curved, can have
mountings adapted for a specific machine
tool, or can allow overhangs of even more
than 14 x dmm. Curved bars are often
adapted for the machining of special shapes
inside various types of components, for
example bottles. The tapered and/or ellipti-
cal bars are optimized to suit small hole
diameters, or to optimize the rigidity and
weight of the bar, so that the damper can
work as effectively and quickly as possible.

Suitable inserts
Vibration can arise due to several different should enter cut as easily as possible, and it
factors, some of which have been discussed is an advantage to use as positive an insert
earlier. But one significant reason for vibra- as possible. The entering angle should be
tions can be the use of the wrong insert: an large, 90–93°, in operations which are sensi-
unsuitable geometry, entering angle, grade, tive to vibration.
nose radius, size, or several of these factors
combined, will have significant conse-
quences for process stability, vibration and
noise. In order to reduce the occurrence of
vibration as much as possible, the tool

114
Geometry
Positive tools and inserts are recommended
for finish machining in order to avoid prob- Low risk of vibration. High risk of vibration.
lems with vibration, and the first choice of
insert for silent boring bars is CoroTurn
TCMT, or alternatively CoroTurn DCMT,
both of which are positive. Negative tools
with positive inserts may be suitable in
some situations, but only when rough
machining under very stable conditions.

Entering angle
The entering angle should be close to 90°,
so that the largest part of the cutting forces
is absorbed in the least critical direction,
axially with the boring bar. The angle
should never be less than 75° because of the
increased radial forces which arise with a
smaller entering angle. With a 75° entering
angle the radial forces are virtually twice as
large as with a 90° angle, which leads to
deflection of the tool – and thus to vibra-
tion.

Nose radius
A small nose radius on the insert also helps ∆R ap <rε Fc ap = rε Fc ap >rε Fc
reduce the radial cutting forces and the tool
deflection. However it is not just the nose ap rε rε rε
ap
radius in isolation which affects the radial ap
deflection of the tool, but rather a combina-
tion of nose radius and cutting depth. When
the cutting depth is smaller than the radius,
the radial cutting force will increase as the
ap
cutting depth increases. But as soon as the
cutting depth is the same as, or larger than,
the size of the nose radius, then the radial
deflection will be determined instead by the

115
 entering angle. So a good rule of thumb is
to choose a nose radius which is somewhat
smaller than the cutting depth. In this way
the radial cutting forces are minimized,
while at the same time the advantages of a
large nose radius can be utilized: a stronger
cutting edge, better surface finish and a
more even pressure on the cutting edge
when forming chips. A nose radius of 0,4
mm should be the target.
Inserts are available in various sizes for
different bars, and one way to reduce vibra-
tion in an unstable operation is to use a
large bar diameter with a small insert – as
long as the component design allows it.
This means that the boring bar will be more
stable due to its large diameter, while the
small insert means that a small nose radius,
with its low cutting forces, can be used.
This is most suitable combination for finish
Grooving
As with all internal turning operations, sta-
bility and chip control are determining fac-
tors in achieving good results. With internal
grooving the positioning of the tool is
every bit as important as with internal turn-
ing, and the criteria are the same as those
described for internal machining. But there
is also a significant additional problem with
internal grooving: chip evacuation. The risk
of chip jamming, and tool breakage as a
result, is very great, above all when machin-
ing small diameters. In principle, to evacu-
ate the chips they must be removed from
the groove, then made to change direction
90° and pass along the side of the tool
116
Fc Fc
fn Fp fn Fp
machining, but it is important to consider
reliability with such an application and not
to choose too large a cutting depth, or use
too high cutting data, which the smaller
insert cannot withstand. Tool breakage is
then inevitable.
holder, before being finally removed from
the hole. In practice the only way to get
short chips in such an operation is to intro-
duce repeated feed stops into the program.
An abundant supply of cutting fluid is also
important for good chip evacuation, not
only when the insert is in cut but also dur-
ing the entire machining process.
Vibrations are a very common problem
with internal grooving, and as with conven-
tional internal turning, the stability depends
crucially on the overhang, ie. how far into
the workpiece (L) the insert is to be posi-
tioned. The risk of vibration suggests as
large a size of tool holder as possible –
while the risk of chip jamming favours the grooving inwards with a narrow insert and
opposite. longitudinal turning will allow the groove
Some basic principles can be established to be cut in one move.
however. When using solid boring bars the
overhang should not exceed 2–2,5 x dmm.
When machining grooves deep in a compo-
nent which demand a tool overhang of
Cemented carbide
more than 3 x dmm and up to 5 x dmm, a
silent tool should be used in order to <25 mm
achieve acceptable quality and productivity.
L = 3–5 x dmm
In grooving, the increased radial forces
which arise mean that an overhang of more Silent Tool
than 5 x dmm is not recommended, even
>25 mm
with silent tools.
When machining large, wide, internal L = 3–5 x dmm
grooves, the most effective approach is to
make several inputs with a narrower insert, Solid
and then use a finishing insert to strike out
the metal between the separate grooves and
from the finished cavity. Alternatively, L = 2,5–5 x dmm

Inserts for grooving

Internal grooving is a critical operation and
it is necessary to choose a tool which is
optimised both for chip evacuation and low
vibration. Sharp, light-cutting inserts are
the most suitable for grooving, and the -4G
insert is the first choice for boring bars with
the 570 cutting head. These inserts are suit-
able for precision turning and available in
grades to suit the material areas P, M, K and
S. The -4G inserts produce low cutting
forces, an advantage in operations which are
prone to vibration, as well as having good
chip control in most materials.

The Q-Cut 570 cutting head.

117
 A

In order to avoid vibration when machining

large, wide grooves, make several inputs with
B
a narrower insert and use a finishing insert
(Fig. A), or groove inwards with a narrow
insert and longitudinal turning (Fig. B).

Some important advice when grooving

● Always use large quantities of cutting fluid.
● Position the centre height of the edge carefully.
● Ensure that the tool holder is accurately positioned – 90°, to the

centre line of the workpiece.

● Use a tool holder with the shortest infeed length possible for the

operation in question.
● Choose the largest bar for the tool.

● Adjust the cutting speed to avoid vibration.

● Increasing the feed is often the answer to vibration problems. In

addition to changing the direction of the main cutting force this

will also burden the tool with larger cutting force, which will lead
to the natural frequency increasing somewhat. However, pay
attention to the maximum cutting force the tool can bear as too
large a force can lead to tool breakage.

118
Threading
In a internal threading operation, the rules axial cutting forces and reduced radial
are the same as those for internal grooving: forces will most closely approach the forces
reducing the cutting forces involved as in conventional turning, and the risk of
much as possible is crucial. In addition, it is vibration is minimised.
also recommended that modified flank
infeed is employed, as then the increased

With radial infeed (1) the

vibration tendency increases.
1 With flank infeed (2) the
axial forces increase and the
vibration tendency
decreases.

Modified flank infeed

For 60° flank angles, the axial displace-
6 ment (ap) between infeeds can easily be
5
calculated as 0,5 x the radial infeed. An
4
equivalent calculation for a 55° flank
3
angle is 0,42 x the radial infeed. This
ap
2 gives an infeed angle which is 3–5° less
1
than the flank angle of the thread.

0,5 ap 3–5°

119
 Mounting
Rigid clamping is of the utmost impor-
tance. With a stable mounting the deflec-
tion of the bar is reduced, and as a result it
is easier to achieve the tolerances and sur-
face finish required. Some of the basic
guidelines or “rules of thumb” for a good
clamping solution are as follows:
In order to ensure good contact and maxi-
mum friction between the clamping and the
boring bar:
● Makethe inside diameter close to the bar
diameter.
● Use bore diameter tolerance H7.
● Therecommended clamping length is 4
times the bar diameter and with clamping
length beyond 4 x dmm, clamping should
be divided between several holders.
● Ensure maximum contact around the
entire circumference by using a split
clamp holder.
● Ensure clamping contact at both end
bushings, either by enlarging the diameter
of the clamping between the bushings, or
by dividing the clamping into several
holders.
● Screwsin direct contact with the bar
shank should be avoided at all costs.

The worst possible case is if the bar is

clamped in position with screws directly on
the bar. This means that there is only mini-
mal contact between the tool holder and
the tool, apart from the local contact
directly under the screws.
A sleeve chuck is recommended when
mounting boring bars which have a diame-
ter of less than 20 mm. This gives a firm
tool mounting, with stability in all the
directions which are critical for bars with
small diameters and long overhangs.

120
Effective overhang
Silent bars in standard versions have a
guaranteed damping function, within the
4–7 x dmm range for the short version and
7–10 x dmm for the long version.
When determining the relationship between
the diameter of the bar and the effective
overhang, it is usual to measure the over-
hang from the front of the mounting to the
insert tip. However, this can only be done if
the mounting is truly stable and grips the
bar all around the whole of the clamped
surface. In practice very few machines have
so superlative a clamping arrangement, so
the starting point for overhang measure-
ments varies depending on the design.

Milling
Employing rotating tools is a very different The seat pockets in a double positive
process from turning with a boring bar in a milling cutter are angled positive relative to
rigid tool post, but in practice most of the both the axial and radial feed directions.
conditions for a successful operation are the With positive inserts in these pockets, the
same. deformation of the chip will be minimal,
● Shortest possible arbor length. and hence the cutting force as low as possi-
ble. In the figure, the double positive cutter
● Largest possible arbor diameters - but not
is compared with a double negative cutter
larger than the minimum cross-section in
and a positive-negative cutter.
the spindle nose connection (tapered
down towards the cutter is good). Even four inserts can be too many, and
reduction to just two inserts will often
● Minimum weight (smallest possible dia-
allow a significant increase in the axial
meter) of the cutter to reduce the kinetic
depth of cut. In this configuration, insert
energy in any vibration which arises.
pockets which are not in use can be pro-
● Double positive milling cutter tected by inserts which are worn out or
● Coarse pitch cutter to slow down changes ground down.
in the cutting force directions.
●A higher feed per tooth may give a con-
stant preload on the machine tool spindle,
and prevent it from using the play in its
bearings.

121