Effects of Machine Tool Spindle Decay on the Stability Lobe Diagram: An Analytical-Experimental Study

An analytical-experimental investigation of machine tool spindle decay and its effects of the system’s stability lobe diagram (SLD) is presented. A dynamic stiffness matrix (DSM) model for the vibration analysis of the OKADA VM500 machine spindle is developed and is validated against Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The model is then refined to incorporate flexibility of the system’s bearings, originally modeled as simply supported boundary conditions, where the bearings are modeled as linear spring elements. The system fundamental frequency obtained from the modal analysis carried on an experimental setup is then used to calibrate the DSM model by tuning the springs’ constants. The resulting natural frequency is also used to determine the 2D stability lobes diagram (SLD) for said spindle. Exploiting the presented approach and calibrated DSM model it is shown that a hypothetical 10% change in the natural frequency would result in a significant shift in the SLD of the spindle system, which should be taken into consideration to ensure chatter-free machining over the spindle’s life cycle.