Study on the influence of magnetorheological fluid on tool vibration during end milling process

Machining is a complicated process where many variables can directly affect the desired results. Among them, tool vibration is the most critical phenomenon which affects the life of the cutting tool, quality of the components machined and functional behavior of the machined tools. This tool vibration can be controlled by increasing the rigidity of the cutting tool through damper. The present investigation aims at suppressing tool vibration during end milling process using magnetorheological fluid damper which acts as a viscoelastic spring with non-linear vibration characteristics. Magnetorheological fluid damper along with fixtures was designed and fabricated according to the required size. Cutting experiments were conducted to arrive at set of compositional parameters that can reduce tool vibration and hence promote better cutting performance during end milling of AISI 4340 steel of 45 HRC using hard metal insert with sculptured rake face. From the results, it was observed that the use of magnetorheological fluid damper reduces tool vibration and improves cutting performance effectively.