Analysis of the Dynamic Behavior of a Structurally Optimized Gimbal-Mounted Workpiece Fixture in Precision Honing

Abstract

Among the precision machining processes, honing describes a key technology for the manufacturing of high-precision functional components under high requirements. Manufacturing tolerances of less than 1µm in terms of shape, dimension and surface quality can be achieved. In order to fulfill the high requirements, the knowledge of the process control of the tool-device system is of major importance. In this context, this paper focuses on the optimization of the process dynamics in internal long-stroke honing for bore diameters less than 10mm. In general, the dynamics of a system can be determined by mass, stiffness and damping. In the following, an approach via the reduction of the mass of the workpiece fixture is pursued. For this purpose, the topology of a conventional gimbal-mounted workpiece fixture is optimized with simulation support and manufactured by means of Selective Laser Melting. The optimized workpiece fixture is investigated in a series of experiments and compared based on deep pre-investigations of the process dynamics in internal long-stroke honing. The aim is to present the effect of the mass reduction regarding the process dynamics and to elaborate on the potential for the honing process.