Fabrication of the Machine Tool Beds Using Glass Fibre Epoxy Composites

Abstract

Vibrations are a common problem in the construction of machine tools including lathes, mills, broaches, grinders, etc. Vibrations and clatter from machine tools are detrimental to the machining process. It causes poor product quality, decreased tool life, and annoying noise, all of which need to be muffled. High damping and static stiffness are two crucial features of machine tool frames for metal cutting, as they guarantee the most cost-effective production of workpieces with the specified geometries and surface finishes. Accuracy and productivity can only improve if the disruptive vibrations are eliminated.

Here, a composite structure stands in for the traditional workpiece base on a slotted table Horizontal Milling Machine, effectively dampening the chatter vibrations that would otherwise occur. The workpiece is put on a bed made of glass fibre polyester or glass fibre epoxy, which is then fastened to the slotted table and feeds material into the milling cutter's path of rotation. Before beginning the studies, four holes are bored into each composite plate, and five plates of each kind of composite are installed. Bolts and nuts are used to secure the composite pile to the slotted table, and a mild steel specimen of the same size as the composite plate sits above the pile. The digital phosphorus storage oscilloscope is used to capture the vibration signal during an up-milling process. There is a log of the signal's RMS amplitude, frequency, and period of vibrations. The procedure is repeated using fewer composite plates, and each set's results are recorded and tabulated separately. There is no composite material underneath the mild steel specimen in several of the studies. Vibration amplitude is found to decrease with increasing composite sheet thickness and increase with increasing plate thickness. The optimal number of composites is also found empirically. CatiaV5R15 was used for the modeling of the experimental setup design.