Measurement of interstage fluid-annulus dynamical properties

The work described in this paper is part of an Electric Power Research Institute sponsored effort to improve rotor vibrational performance on power plant feed water pumps. A major objective of this effort is to reduce vibration levels by devising inter-stage sealing configurations with optimized damping capacity, realizing that the typical multi-stage centrifugal pump has several ore inter-stage fluid annuli than it has journal bearings. Also, the fluid annuli are distributed between the journal bearings where vibration levels are highest and can therefore be 'exercised' more as dampers than can the bearings. Described in this paper is a test apparatus which has been built to experimentally determine fluid-annulus dynamical coefficients for various configurations of inter-stage sealing geometry

Design of a five-axis ultra-precision micro-milling machine—UltraMill. Part 2: Integrated dynamic modelling, design optimisation and analysis

Using computer models to predict the dynamic performance of ultra-precision machine tools can help manufacturers to substantially reduce the lead time and cost of developing new machines. However, the use of electronic drives on such machines is becoming widespread, the machine dynamic performance depending not only on the mechanical structure and components but also on the control system and electronic drives. Bench-top ultra-precision machine tools are highly desirable for the micro-manufacturing of high-accuracy micro-mechanical components. However, the development is still at the nascent stage and hence lacks standardised guidelines. Part 2 of this two-part paper proposes an integrated approach, which permits analysis and optimisation of the entire machine dynamic performance at the early design stage. Based on the proposed approach, the modelling and simulation process of a novel five-axis bench-top ultra-precision micro-milling machine tool—UltraMill—is presented. The modelling and simulation cover the dynamics of the machine structure, the moving components, the control system and the machining process and are used to predict the entire machine performance of two typical configurations

Ultra-high precision grinding of BK7 glass

With the increase in the application of ultra-precision manufactured parts and the absence of much participation of researchers in ultra-high precision grinding of optical glasses which has a high rate of demand in the industries, it becomes imperative to garner a full understanding of the production of these precision optics using the above-listed technology. Single point inclined axes grinding configuration and Box-Behnken experimental design was developed and applied to the ultra-high precision grinding of BK7 glass. A high sampling acoustic emission monitoring system was implemented to monitor the process. The research tends to monitor the ultra-high precision grinding of BK7 glass using acoustic emission which has proven to be an effective sensing technique to monitor grinding processes. Response surface methodology was adopted to analyze the effect of the interaction between the machining parameters: feed, speed, depth of cut and the generated surface roughness. Furthermore, back propagation Artificial Neural Network was also implemented through careful feature extraction and selection process. The proposed models are aimed at creating a database guide to the ultra-high precision grinding of precision optics

An analytical study of wheel regeneration in surface grinding

Machining vibrations have been a topic of active research since the beginning of the 20th century, because of their harmful potential to deteriorate the surface finish of the workpiece, reduce the lifetime of the machine tool and limit the overall productivity of manufacturing operations. Grinding, often being a finishing operation responsible for the final quality of the workpiece, can be especially affected by unwanted process vibrations. Machining vibrations can arise from a number of sources, but they are usually classified as forced and self-excited vibrations. Forced vibrations, such as those resulting from runout or unbalance, are generally easier to avoid. However, self-excited vibrations, also known as chatter, originate in the machining process itself and are typically more difficult to predict and suppress. When it comes to grinding operations, chatter can occur as a result of uneven surface regeneration on both the wheel and the workpiece. In this paper we perform an analytical study of grinding chatter, to explore the intricate nature of wheel regeneration (i.e. chatter arising from uneven wear on the wheel) in surface grinding. Whilst there has been a great deal of previous research into grinding chatter, the present study explores a contrarian approach whereby a circumferential variation of the specific grinding energy occurs during the onset of instability. The specific energy is a fundamental quantity in grinding that relates the necessary grinding power to the prescribed material removal rate. It is also related to wheel wear and thus to grinding forces, since a worn wheel requires more grinding power and produces greater grinding forces to sustain the same material removal rate than a sharp one. Therefore, by characterising the specific energy variation around the circumference of the grinding wheel as a function of wheel vibration, we derive a stability model and discuss its practical potential

A thermodynamics coupled modeling approach for analysis and improvement of high-speed motorized spindle system

The performance of high-speed motorized spindle system is greatly affected by spindle’s thermal and dynamic behavior. So, it is very important to predict these properties in design stage of spindle system. However, the thermal and dynamic behaviour reacts upon each other for the high rotational speed and complex structure of the spindle system. To control and optimize the dynamic behaviour and the temperature rise of spindle, this paper developed a dynamic and thermal coupled model of the spindle system by using the finite element method (FEM). The shaft and rotor were modeled as Timoshenko’s beam, the rational interference fit between shaft and rotor was treated as mass-spring combinations, the bearings were modeled as nonlinear spring element. The thermal analysis procedure contained the calculation of heat generation and confirmation of boundary condition. The accuracy of this coupled model was validated by corresponding experiments. With this coupled model, the thermal and dynamic performance of the spindle system was studied. The effects of rotational speed, axial preload and material of bearing and the diameter of shaft on thermal and dynamic behavior were analyzed. The spindle system was optimized with the result of analyses above. After optimization, the temperature rise of spindle system falls significantly to 24.5°C, which was 30.2°C before, while the dynamic stiffness at working speed increases from 156 to 197 N/μm

A holistic integrated dynamic design and modelling approach applied to the development of ultraprecision micro-milling machines

Ultraprecision machines with small footprints or micro-machines are highly desirable for micro-manufacturing high-precision micro-mechanical components. However, the development of the machines is still at the nascent stage by working on an individual machine basis and hence lacks generic scientific approach and design guidelines. Using computer models to predict the dynamic performance of ultraprecision machine tools can help manufacturers substantially reduce the lead time and cost of developing new machines. Furthermore, the machine dynamic performance depends not only upon the mechanical structure and components but also the control system and electronic drives. This paper proposed a holistic integrated dynamic design and modelling approach, which supports analysis and optimization of the overall machine dynamic performance at the early design stage. Based on the proposed approach the modelling and simulation process on a novel 5-axis bench-top ultraprecision micro-milling machine tool – UltraMill – is presented. The modelling and simulation cover the dynamics of the machine structure, moving components, control system and the machining process, and are used to predict the overall machine performance of two typical configurations. Preliminary machining trials have been carried out and provided the evidence of the approach being helpful to assure the machine performing right at the first setup