Chatter and deformation in machining thin-walled flexible components

Flexible components are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries. However, the low rigidity of workpiece and large quantities of material removal in machining process leads to the instability of the process such as chatter and deformation. Chatter is a detrimental phenomenon resulting from dynamic interaction between machining tool and workpiece. It can cause poor surface quality and reduced productivity, and thus become one of the main limitations to achieve high productivity and good surface quality. Meanwhile, the varying cutting forces during machining can excite cutter and part structures and lead to significant deflections. For these reasons, machining of flexible components has been a research emphasis of both industrial and academic researchers for many years. Plenty of studies have been carried out to solve these problems, and most proposed studies focused on how to predict, identify, prevent and supress chatter and deformation. This paper reviews the progress of relevant research and classifies the existing strategies developed to ensure stable machining of flexible components. The most appropriate technique for each specific problem is selected and discussed considering various aspects of machining.