Redesign of an active system of vibration control in a centerless grinding machine: Numerical simulation and practical implementation

In this paper a novel methodology is presented to optimize an active chatter control system based on piezoelectric actuators in a centerless grinding machine. With the proposed modeling procedure, a compact and efficient control system is obtained, perfectly adapted to the specific characteristics of the machine. First, the previous theoretical and experimental works done in the centerless grinding machine under study are presented briefly, with emphasis on the development of a validated finite element (FE) model capable of predicting the behavior of the machine controlled actively. Afterwards, making use of this FE model, a theoretical procedure is developed to optimize the control system. Concretely, the piezoelectric actuators are redesigned to achieve a solution oriented to the specific characteristics of the machine and the control algorithm is adapted to the new design, leading to a highly integrated mechatronic solution. The new active control scheme is simulated using a reduced order state space model, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed solution. Finally, in line with the new design, a prototype is manufactured and integrated in the machine, and the experimental results obtained from different operating conditions are shown. The study of the theoretical and experimental results makes it possible to verify the improvements in the chatter stability of the process once the control system has been applied, as well as to confirm the theoretically predicted performance. This way, the work carried out in this paper shows the satisfactory use of a validated FE model to deal with the optimization process of an active vibration control system.

► An active vibration control system is optimized in a centerless grinding machine.
► A modeling procedure is developed to define piezoelectric actuator's characteristics.
► Simulations show a good performance of the designed solution.
► The good theoretical predictions are confirmed experimentally.
► The application of the active control expands the chatter-free operating zone.