Design of a range of attachable Lorentz force actuators adapted to different active damping applications

Abstract:
Vibrations are among the greatest enemies of productivity in machining processes. Milling of thin walls and lightweight structures is often limited by chatter vibrations of those parts. For this application active damping devices have been proposed as they offer high adaptability and power density, however, there is no unique device design which can be used for every kind of workpiece. The present article deals with the design of a range of electromagnetic attachable dampers, which can be applied in a wide array of applications. The design starts from a baseline actuator designed for large, welded steel structures as target workpieces, while in this paper two other actuators are designed with scaled down proportions adapted to smaller steel and composite fibre structures. The design methodology covers both electromagnetic and me-chanical aspects, considering different magnetization configurations. In the paper several validation tests are presented for the force capacity and thermal behaviour of the prototypes. Lastly, experimental cutting tests are performed in a multitasking milling machine to demonstrate the efficacy of the actuators.