Improvement of Gear Cutter Dynamics by Use of Acoustic Imaging and High Damping Interface

This paper presents a study where acoustic imaging technology was employed for problem identification and high damping interfaces (HDI) were implemented in the machine tool structure to improve performance of process machine interaction, in bevel gear cutting, in terms of resistance to instability. Chatter marks at the gear root and tool fracturing represent a serious and widespread problem in the studied process. The acoustic image approach showed good agreement with modal analysis and also allowed to identify the chatter frequency. Once identified the problem, the paper also presents a novel approach for improving resistance to cutting instability by implementing HDI in the structure. The HDI consists of a viscoelastic composite material and is used to damp out the stick blade motion relative to the clamp block by transformation of vibratory energy, into heat. The primary contributions of this paper are the introduction of acoustic imaging for identification of chatter in gear cutting and employment of HDI for performance improvement for rotating tools.