Int J. Mach.ToolDes.Res. Vol.I, pp. 148-156. PergamonPress 1961.

Printedin GreatBritain

GRAPHICAL
THE

METHOD

DYNAMIC

FOR

STABILITY

THE
OF

DETERMINATION
MACHINE

OF

TOOLS

J. P. GURNEY* and S. A. TOBIAS~

INTRODUCTION
THE STABILITYof the cutting process depends not only on the cutting conditions and the
material being worked but also on the dynamic behaviour of the machine structure. In fact,
an adequate description of the dynamic behaviour of the structure is one of the difficulties
of chatter analysis. In certain cases it may be possible to represent the machine as a series
of simple mass-spring systems, the constants of which are obtained from a resonance test.
This approach is only valid when the resonance peaks of the machine structure are well
separated.
The method presented in this paper attempts to overcome this obstacle by using the
harmonic response locus to describe the characteristics of the machine structure. The
method is essentially graphical. It is equally applicable when the modes of the structure are
not well defined, and it takes the effect of the rotational speed of tool or workpiece into
account. The stability conditions for regenerative chatter determined by this method are
set out in the form of stability charts.
THE D Y N A M I C S T A B I L I T Y OF M E T A L C U T T I N G
In regenerative chatter, the build-up of the self-excited oscillation is easily visualized.
Any disturbance of the steady cutting process causes the tool and the workpiece to deflect
with respect to each other and execute a relative vibration, tracing a small wave on the
surface of the workpiece. As a rule this is a damped vibration, but as the work (or the tool)
rotates, the surface wave is again encountered by the tool. It causes a varying cutting force
which acts on the machine structure, deflecting it and causing another relative vibration.
The amplitude of this vibration may be larger than that of the initial one, and in that case
the amplitude will grow until limited by some non-linear effect (such as loss of contact).
From this general description of the mechanism of regenerative chatter it can be seen
that the factors affecting the stability of the cutting process can be divided into two groups :
(1) factors relating to the characteristics of the machine tool structure, which decide the
behaviour of the structure and the relative motion of tool and workpiece when the cutting
process is disturbed; (2) factors relating to cutting conditions, which determine the forces
generated by the disturbance of the cutting process. Any analysis of the stability of the
cutting process must take into consideration both these groups of factors.
THE D Y N A M I C C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S OF THE M A C H I N E S T R U C T U R E
As yet, no method exists of forecasting the dynamic behaviour of a machine structure.
For any analysis to be performed, preliminary experiments must first be made to determine
* James Watt Research Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham.
"~Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Head of Department, University of Birmingham.
148

Graphical Method for Determination of the Dynamic Stability of Machine Tools

149

the frequency response. This is done by exciting the machine by a harmonic force acting
between tool and workpiece in the direction of the cutting force, and measuring amplitude
and phase of the ensuing vibration in the direction normal to the cut surface. If convenient
the machine may be excited in the direction of the normal, and the response measured in
the direction of the cutting force*. By Maxwell's reciprocal theorem the response in each
case will be the same. The amplitude and phase for a wide range of frequencies are then
plotted in polar co-ordinates to give the harmonic response locus.
The relation that the harmonic response locus bears to the more customary resonance
curve and the phase variation is evident from Figs. l(a, b and c). These show respectively
the variation of the amplitude and phase of the forced relative vibration as a function of the
exciting frequency, and the harmonic response locus, for a single degree of freedom system
in which the damping is 0-05 critical, i.e. Q = 10. The values of the exciting frequency are
marked at appropriate intervals along the locus.
T H E E F F E C T OF V I B R A T I O N ON T H E C U T T I N G F O R C E
This analysis confines itself to considering motion between tool and workpiece in the
direction normal to the cut surface. This is because only motion in this direction has a
direct effect on surface finish and dimensional accuracy. It may be that vibration tangential
to the cut surface results in force increments affecting the motion in the normal direction,
but it is assumed that these effects are small. It has already been demonstrated that an
analysis based only on motion in the normal direction yields results in good agreement with
experiment [1].
For a given tool and workpiece material the steady-state cutting force P is a function of
the width and depth of cut, and of the cutting velocity. The width of cut is not altered by
any motion normal to the cut surface, and in line with the observation above, the cutting
velocity has only a small effect on this motion. Therefore, in its simplest form, the incremental cutting force due to a variation of the cutting conditions from steady-state is proportional to the incremental depth of cut, ds. In the case of a lathe in orthogonal cut, where
successive cuts overlap completely,
de

= kids

= kl[x(t)

-- x(t --

T)]

(1)

where kl is the chip-thickness coefficient, and T is the time of rotation of the workpiece.
This equation also holds for plunge-grinding with no longitudinal feed, where the whole
upper surface of the metal being ground is removed successively. In cylindrical grinding the
equation must be modified because of the fact that only part of the surface being formed
by the wheel at any time is removed one revolution of the work later. Equation (1) then
becomes:
d P ~ k l [ X ( t ) - - t z x ( t - - T)]
(2)
where/z is the overlapping factor.
D E R I V A T I O N OF T H E S T A B I L I T Y C R I T E R I O N
(i)

Orthogonal

Cutting.

Overlapping

F a c t o r tz -~ 1

To make possible a clear presentation of the method of deriving the stability criterion,
* With single-point tools this direction is mainly a function of the rake angle. In grinding the direction
can be varied to some extent by changing the wheel and cutting conditions.

150

J . P . GURNEY and S. A. TOBIAS

the simplest form for the incremental cutting force, that given in equation (1), will first be
considered. After this case has been analysed, the effect of the overlapping factor will be
discussed.

(a)

0.
E
(Z

J
2

Exciting f r e q u e n c y , ~o

180

S
(b)

o9O
o
,.c:
45
n

Exciting f r e q u e n c y , ~o

I-4o,~ 6

,.,5~..-~~-

(e)

o
~"-..~o. 8

i
,o%

/o.o..
I~)1 ~

---'-"-0"99

Harmonic response locus

FIG. 1

Graphical Method for Determination of the Dynamic Stability of Machine Tools

151

Consider a machine tool set in forced vibration by a harmonic force F cos oJt acting in
the direction of the cutting force. The equation of motion is then:
f ( 2 , 5, x) = F cos oJt

(3)

where x is the relative displacement normal to the cut surface, and f ( ~ , 5, x) is a function
describing the behaviour of the machine structure over the full frequency range for the
particular method of excitation. The steady-state solutions x ( t ) of this equation are determined experimentally as a function of oJ and plotted in the form of the harmonic response
locus, which has already been introduced in Fig. l(c). It is presented again in Fig. 2, with

,,~(,)-,,-vS...
/-k,~(,~-T)]
1+" ;I ~- ~-i
P'1~)
P

/ !l

FIO. 2
the radial co-ordinate normalized by multiplying by the static stiffness As between tool and
workpiece. This enables the following construction to be carried out entirely in force
units. N o w the vector O P in Fig. 2 (corresponding to zero frequency) represents the static
force F which produces the static displacement x8 ~ F/As.
Assume now that instead of the force F cos ~t, the incremental force dP(t) due to a
deviation of the cutting process from steady-state, acts on the machine. The equation of
motion is now:
f(~.. ~. x) -~ --dP(t)
(4)

152

J.P. GURNEYand S. A. TOBIAS

The incremental force dP appears with a negative sign as its positive direction is opposed
to that of the cutting force. Equations (1) and (4) give:
f(Y:, ~, x) -~ - - k l [ x ( t ) - - x ( t -- T)]

(5)

At the limit of stability x(t) is sinusoidal. Therefore the harmonic response locus is
applicable, with the exciting force --dP(t) being represented by the vector O P in Fig. 2.
dP(t) is represented by O P ' , where O P ' = - - O P .
In accordance with equation (1), the vector O P ' consists of two other vectors,
O P ' = k l [ x ( t ) - - x ( t -- T)]

(6)

It will again be remembered that at the limit of stability the vibration is sinusoidal,
neither increasing nor decreasing in amplitude. Therefore the vectors k l x ( t ) and k l x ( t -- T )
are equal in magnitude. This means that if equation (6) is represented as a vector triangle
in Fig. 2, the vectors k l x ( t ) and k~x(t - - T ) must meet on the perpendicular bisector of OP'.
This allows the triangle to be drawn with O R ' = k l x ( t ) and P ' R ' = k l x ( t - - T). Because
of the normalization, O R = Asx(t), from which it follows that:
ki
)~s

OR'
OR

(7)

Thus the critical value of the chip-thickness coefficient for chatter to occur at the frequency given by R can be found from equation (7). I f this is repeated for a series of frequencies, the critical value of kl can be found as a function of o~. The values of Tcorresponding to these values of kl and co can be found by once again making use of the fact that at
the limit of stability x(t) and x ( t -- T ) are harmonic functions. The phase angle between
them is therefore oJT. This is the angle denoted by 0 in Fig. 2. T is a multi-valued function
of ~o as the angle between the vectors can be 0 + 2rm, where n is any integer. In this way a
stability chart can be drawn up showing those values of kl as a function of the rotational
speed which are stable and those which are unstable. In Fig. 3 the stability chart has been
drawn for the system whose harmonic response locus is shown in Fig. l(c), i.e. a simple
mass-spring system in which the damping is 0-05 critical. It consists of a series of lobes,
each having a minimum value of kl/As N O. 102. This minimum value is given by the point
on the harmonic response locus with the maximum negative in-phase component, as can
be deduced from equation (7). At low speeds of rotation, these lobes overlap to a great
extent, but at higher speeds they spread out, allowing the possibility of improving the
chatter behaviour by a judicious choice of workspeed.
It is evident from the construction in Fig. 2 that the vector triangle can only be formed
for positive values of kl at those frequencies in which the displacement lags the exciting
force by more than 90 . This confirms the frequently observed fact that regenerative chatter
occurs at a frequency above the natural frequency of the mode excited. As the machine
structure is a passive system, there must always be a frequency range in which the in-phase
component of the response is negative. It follows that under the conditions assumed here,
it is possible for instability to occur on any machine, no matter how high the damping.
(ii) Effect o f the Overlapping Factor
The equation for the incremental force is modified if successive cuts do not completely

Graphical Method for Determination of the Dynamic Stability of Machine Tools

153

overlap. Cylindrical grinding (Fig. 4) provides a frequently met example of this, when the
incremental cutting force is given by equation (2):
de

---- k l [ x ( t )

--

i~x(t

--

T)]

(2)

0"5

0",4,

-,-I~
il

0.3

o
~

0"2

0ol

0.2

0.1

Rotational speed f ]
Natural frequency coo

FIG. 3

p_b

b
/-zb
/.z

Width of wheel
Axial feed/rev.
Overlapping factor

Flo. 4

0"3

0"4

154

J.P. GURNEYand S. A. TOBIAS

Equation (5) then becomes:

f ( # , 5, x) = - - k l [ x ( t )

- - t z x ( t - - T)]

(8)

The harmonic response locus of the machine is of course unaltered, and as in the previous
case x ( t ) is sinusoidal at the limit of stability. Therefore, from equation (2) the vector O P '
is now given in terms of two other vectors by:
OP'=

kl[x(t) --/zx(t

- - T)]

(9)

This vector .equation is represented in Fig. 5, with O R ' = k l x ( t ) and P ' R ' = t z k l x ( t - - T ) .
Because of the fact that k l x ( t ) and k l x ( t - - T ) are equal in magnitude, P ' R ' ~ /~OR'. This
means that R' lies on one of the coaxal circles with focal points at O and R'. The actual
circle is decided by the value of tz. The circles for several values of tz are shown in Fig. 5.
In other respects the determination of the stability chart is similar. The stability chart for
/z = 0.8 is shown in Fig. 6. It can be seen that it has the same overall shape as that for
/z = 1 but that the unstable zones are moved upward, i.e. the system is more stable. The
minimum value of kl/As at which instability can occur is now about 0-133. In general, as tz
is reduced, conditions become more stable. With the simple example under consideration
here, instability cannot occur if tz = 0, i.e. if successive cuts do not overlap, as in screwcutting, or on the first pass in any metal-cutting operation. This is not generally true. Instability without regeneration can be explained simply by the fact that the harmonic response
locus crosses the negative real axis. This may seem impossible as the machine structure, to
which the harmonic response locus applies, is a passive system, but it must be remembered
that the direction of the exciting force is not necessarily the direction in which the displacement is measured. Because of this, phase lags greater than 180 are possible. This shows a
further advantage in using the frequency response obtained from the machine itself, as
with a single degree of freedom approximation chatter of this type can only be explained by
postulating a velocity dependent cutting force component producing, for one reason or
another, negative damping.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of the harmonic response locus is new to machine tools. It has so far been
applied with most effect in electrical engineering. The technique, however, is extremely
useful, and its use in this field has much to recommend it.
Previous workcrs in this direction have relicd on the resonance curve to determine the
constants of the principal modes of the machine. This is quite accuratc if the resonance peaks
of the machine are well separated and clearly defined. In this case it is also justifiable to
assume motion of the machine is cssentially in one mode, and the machine can then be
represented by a simple damped mass-spring system. In a structure as complex as a machine
tool, this approach is obviously of limited application. Even if an attempt is made to take
several modes into account [2] difficulty is encountered in determining the constants of
each mode accurately.
The main advantages of the method presented here over algebraic methods of analysis
arc its simplicity and the direct way in which the structural characteristics of the actual
machine, not a mass-spring-dashpot model, enter the analysis. It entails no more than
some elementary computation and simple graphical constructions which may be carried
out by unskilled personnel. It may be applied to any metal cutting process provided that the

Graphical M e t h o d for Determination o f the D y n a m i c Stability o f Machine Tools

155

FIG. 5

0.5,
0.4~

J=
o.

0-t

0"1

0"2

Rotationalspeed
Naturalfrequencycoo
FIG. 6. Stability chart for ~t = 0" 8.

0"3

0-4

156

J.P. GURNEYand S. A. TOBIAS

relevant expression for the variation of the cutting force with machine distortion is used in
equation (1). It is not limited to those cases in which the resonance peaks are well separated
and takes into account all the modes o f the machine. It should be emphasized that the
simple examples used for illustration are in no way a reflection on the limitations o f the
method.
The use o f the response locus makes it easy to picture well-known effects, e.g. that
chatter occurs at a frequency above the natural frequency o f the m o d e excited. The overall
effect o f one parameter can be visualized and general trends picked out f r o m a realization
of the effects of various vectors. The fact that successive cuts m a y not completely overlap
can be taken into account.
It has been reported [1, 3] that under dynamic conditions the cutting force m a y not be
dependent on the chip-thickness alone. Recent w o r k [4] has confirmed this. It can be allowed
for by inserting a further term in equations (1) and (2). Equation (5) n o w represents a vector
quadrilateral rather than a vector triangle. This can also be taken into account, and the
effect o f this term on the stability chart is discussed in a paper shortly to be published.
REFERENCES
[1] S. A. TOBIAS,Proc. Instn mech. Engrs 173, 474 (1959).
[2] J. TLUSTY and M. POLACEK, Drittes Forschungs und Konstruktionskolloquium Werkzeugmaschinen,
p. 131. III. FoKo Ma, Vogel Verlag, Coburg (1957).
[3] S. Doi and S. KATO, Trans. Amer. Soc. mech. Engrs 178, 1127 (1956).
[4] J. D. SMI'I~Iand S. A. TOBIAS,Int. J. Mach. Tool Des. Res. To be published.