Operational modal analysis based dynamic parameters identification in milling of thin-walled workpiece

Removal of AM-FM harmonics using VMD technology for operational modal analysis of milling robot

In order to control the cutting chatter in machining of thin-walled workpieces, the dynamic milling model of thin-walled workpieces is analyzed and built based on the analysis of degrees in two perpendicular directions of tool-workpiece system. In high speed milling of 2A12 aluminum alloy, the compensation method based on the modification of inertia effect was proposed and accurate cutting force coefficients were obtained. Modal parameters of tool-workpiece system were acquired via modal analysis tests. The stable lobe for high speed milling of 2A12 aluminum alloy thin-walled workpieces and limit cutting axial-depth at different cutting radial-depth were obtained. The results were verified with cutting tests. The method can be used in milling of thin-walled workpieces to select cutting parameters properly. All these work lay a reliable foundation to the further studies on the cutting chatter rules of thin-walled workpieces.

Stability of lateral rotordynamic modes is an essential consideration during design and acceptance testing of rotating machinery. Experimental modal analysis (EMA) can be used for assessment but is in practice very difficult in actual operating conditions, principally due to the challenges of quantifying the excitation force. Operational modal analysis (OMA) does not require measurement of excitation forces and therefore presents significant logistical advantages over EMA. The background and theoretical concepts of OMA are presented and its use is demonstrated on a 500 kW centrifugal compressor. Measurements performed during commissioning at first raised suspicion that the stability was marginal. However OMA was used to confirm that the first forward mode of the compressor was actually stable and the measurements were reconciled with the predicted behavior. The results show that the assessment of stability margins of rotating machinery can be measured with OMA using only proximity probe data acquired during normal operation.

In recent years, theoretical and experimental efforts have transformed the conventional tilting-pad journal bearing (TPJB) into a smart mechatronic machine element. The application of electromechanical elements into rotating systems makes feasible the generation of controllable forces over the rotor as a function of a suitable control signal. The servovalve input signal and the radial injection pressure are the two main parameters responsible for dynamically modifying the journal oil film pressure and generating active fluid film forces in controllable fluid film bearings. Such fluid film forces, resulting from a strong coupling between hydrodynamic, hydrostatic and controllable lubrication regimes, can be used either to control or to excite rotor lateral vibrations. If non-invasive forces are generated via lubricant fluid film, in situ parameter identification can be carried out, enabling evaluation of the mechanical condition of the rotating machine. Using the lubricant fluid film as a non-invasive calibrated shaker is troublesome, once several transfer functions among mechanical, hydraulic and electronic components become necessary. In this framework the main original contribution of this paper is to show experimentally that the knowledge about the several transfer functions can be bypassed by using output-only identification techniques. The manuscript links controllable (active) lubrication techniques with operational modal analysis, allowing for in-situ parameter identification in rotordynamics, i.e. estimation of damping ratio and natural frequencies. The experimental analysis is carried out on a rigid rotor-level system supported by one single pair of pads. The estimation of damping and natural frequencies is performed using classical experimental modal analysis (EMA) and operational modal analysis (OMA). Very good agreements between the two experimental approaches are found. Maximum values of the main input parameters, namely servovalve voltage and radial injection pressure, are experimentally found with the objective of defining ranges of non-invasive perturbation forces.

The accuracy of modal parameter estimates from estimation methods built in the framework of experimental modal analysis (EMA) can be assessed by several methods provided the information of input loadings and output responses. However, a deeper investigation is necessary for estimation methods built in the operational modal analysis (OMA) framework to establish confidence boundaries for the modal parameter estimates. This paper aims to estimate uncertainties of the modal parameter estimates by testing the sensitivity of the damped natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes to the choice of the estimation method and data acquisition settings used in this method. The uncertainty estimates of the modal parameter estimates are tested for changes in the boundary conditions. The tests provide insights into tendencies for the accuracy of the modal parameter estimates when the boundary conditions provide a different set of “true” modal parameter values. A simple cantilever beam experimental setup is used to obtain benchmark modal parameter estimates from EMA that are used to estimate the accuracy of the modal parameter estimates from OMA. The method’s robustness in estimating uncertainties and accuracies for modal parameter estimates is tested for several independent experiments. The boundary conditions for the cantilever beam are changed to test the influence of altering modal parameter estimates on the estimated uncertainties and accuracies. The boundary conditions are changed using materials with different elastic properties and the connection pressure between the clamping device and beam. A method presented in Paulsen et al. (Proceedings of the 9th International Operational Modal Analysis Conference, IOMAC, 2022) calculates a representative modal parameter estimate from a set of modal parameter estimates based on weightings obtained from the modal assurance criterion. The method’s ability to reduce uncertainties and increase accuracies of the representative estimate is demonstrated by repeating a test setup ten times. The results present simultaneously a reduction of uncertainties and an increase of accuracies for the representative modal parameter when the weighting method is used. An evaluation of dependencies between the estimated uncertainties and accuracies finds a proportional relation for the damped natural frequency when the uncertainties are described as a relative standard deviation. The analysis presents higher accuracy for the damped natural frequency and mode shape estimates compared to the damping factor, and the accuracy of the damping factor is dependent on the actual value of the damping factor. These phenomena for accuracy are well known and indicate that the uncertainties of modal parameter estimates can be assessed through a sensitivity test of estimation methods and data acquisition parameters.

A recent development in operational modal analysis (OMA) is the possibility of using measured, artificial loads in addition to the unmeasured, ambient excitation, while the ratio between forced and ambient excitation can be low compared to classical experimental modal analysis (EMA). Most of these so-called OMAX algorithms lack the intuitiveness of their EMA and OMA counterparts, since they fit a system model that takes both the measured and the operational excitation into account directly to the measured signals. A more physically intuitive subspace algorithm for OMAX, that starts with an accurate decomposition of the measured joint response in a forced and an ambient part, was recently introduced. In this paper, the performance of this algorithm, which is called CSI-ic/ref, is assessed by means of a case study, where a two-span steel arch footbridge is tested in operational conditions, with and without using additional actuators. From a comparison of the modal parameters with results from a finite elementmodel, an OMA algorithm, and an alternative OMAX algorithm, it can be concluded that CSI-ic/ref yields accurate modal parameter estimates.KeywordsMode ShapeModal ParameterBridge DeckModal Assurance CriterionExperimental Modal AnalysisThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

A challenge in identifying the dynamic properties of large structures through operational modal analysis (OMA), whereby the response of a structure is measured under ambient excitation, is the changes in added mass and temperature which may occur during data collection. The effect of these changes may mask any damage to the structure or lead the investigator to incorrectly conclude damage has occurred. Quantification of such effects requires the use of short-time OMA methods, where the structure’s response is assumed to be linear across short periods of time. Two experiments were carried out to identify methods through which such variations can be accurately identified and quantified. The first experiment consisted of a simple I-beam with spring supports to which a small mass was added at a variety of locations. This simulated changes in mass similar to that which may be induced by pedestrian or vehicle loading of civil structures. The changes in the dynamic properties were quantified through the short-time Fourier transform and a variant on the random decrement technique to test their ability to detect small changes in mass. An inversion of the mass change method is used to estimate both the quantity and location of the added mass. The second experiment investigated the efficacy of the same short-time OMA methods in the presence of temperature variation. A flat plate was heated in laboratory conditions using radiant panels. The changes in dynamic properties were measured during heating, steady temperature and cooling of the plate. The results were correlated to the changes in temperature using variations on established relationships between elastic modulus and temperature. The results presented within this paper provide an experimental basis for the viability of short-time OMA methods for quantifying temperature and added mass induced variation in dynamic parameters which may be used to guide future structural monitoring.

An Experimental Evaluation of Two Potential Improvements for 3D Laser Vibrometer Based Operational Modal Analysis

The MX3D Bridge is the world’s first additively manufactured metal bridge. It is a 10.5 m-span footbridge, and its dynamic response is a key serviceability consideration. The bridge has a flowing, sculptural form and its response to footfall was initially studied using a 3D finite element (FE) model featuring the designed geometry and material properties obtained from coupon tests. The bridge was tested using experimental modal analysis (EMA) and operational modal analysis (OMA) during commissioning prior to installation. The results have shown that the measured vibration response of the bridge under footfall excitation is 200% greater than predictions based on the FE model and contemporary design guidance. The difference between predicted and measured behaviour is attributed to the complexity of the structure, underestimation of the modal mass in the FE model, and the time-variant modal behaviour of the structure under pedestrian footfall. Both OMA and EMA give a dominant natural frequency for the bridge of between 5.19 Hz and 5.32 Hz, higher than the FE model prediction of 4.31 Hz, and average damping estimates across all modes of vibration below 15 Hz of 0.61% and 0.74% respectively, higher than the 0.5% assumed within the design guidance, slightly reducing the peak response factor predicted for the bridge.

The masonry bridges on the Kalka Shimla Mountain Railway line, which have multiple arch galleries in the form of Roman aqueducts, are spectacular. The Kalka Shimla Mountain Railway line is situated in severe seismic zones (Indian Standard 1893:2016). This research assesses the seismic vulnerability of masonry arch Bridge No. 541 situated on the Kalka Shimla Mountain Railway line. This bridge is the tallest on the route. In particular, it assesses the seismic vulnerability of the bridge using finite element (FE) analysis. For this purpose, an FE model for the bridge is developed using the ABAQUS FE-based environment. The experimental field study conducted on the bridge using an ambient vibration test (AVT) and dynamic parameters (frequency and mode shapes) is evaluated by operational modal analysis (OMA). Further, the FE model is updated by modifying the elastic mechanical property of the stone masonry to match the analytical modal frequency with the results of the AVT and OMA. The updated model is then used to perform a pushover analysis and nonlinear dynamic analysis to estimate the seismic performance of the bridge. Furthermore, fragility curves are developed for the bridge to estimate the damage state for specific seismicity. The study shows that the bridge is vulnerable to Zone IV seismicity and needs some retrofitting in specific locations such as the pier–abutment joints.

In aerospace industry, thin-walled workpieces are widely used in order to reduce the weight and to fulfill the high demands of their later applications. These workpieces are usually highly sophisticated and difficult to machine according to their geometry and material choice. In this paper, influence of material removal within the thin-walled workpiece machining operation on the dynamic properties of the workpiece and the machining process system is discussed. Aiming at learning about dynamic properties evolution during the machining operation, different milling processes of thin-walled plate are studied. Numerical simulation methods are employed in the study to investigate the dynamic properties evolution and machining stability with the material removal process in the milling process of thin-walled workpiece. The investigation results are expected to be used for designing optimized material removal sequence, which will guarantee highly material removal rate as well as highly machining accuracy of thin-walled workpiece.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is nowadays common in many branches of engineering since it allows to have a continuous or periodic report of the structural conditions and therefore to promptly intervene if there are incipient damages. The first step to perform a SHM is the identification of the dynamic parameters, i.e. natural frequencies, damping ratios and modal shapes, and it is a crucial step since a modification of the structural parameters can be a direct consequence of structural damages. Among the structural identification methods, Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) methods have received increasing attention from the researchers since they do not require the knowledge of the structural excitation that is due to ambient vibrations and that is usually modeled as a white noise. This aspect makes this kind of methods cheaper and simpler than the classical Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) methods. In this paper an innovative OMA method is proposed. It is a semi - automated method that allows to identify natural frequencies, damping ratios and modal shapes of a structural system and that can be used also from users that have not knowledge in stochastic dynamics and signal analysis. First of all, the modal shapes are estimated through the use of signal filtering techniques applied on the stochastic properties of the output process and then natural frequencies and damping ratios can be estimated from the mono - component analytical signals obtained by performing a decomposition of the analytical signals matrix. The proposed method has been used to perform the dynamic identification of a real historic building situated in Palermo, i.e. Chiaramonte palace, and the results obtained have been compared with those obtained by using other OMA methods.

Modal Complexity Factors as indexes for modal parameter identification in Operational Modal Analysis of coupled dynamic systems

The identification of modal parameters of a machine tool structure, in service, is important to ensure stability and productivity during machining operations. The characterization can be carried out through an Operational Modal Analysis (OMA). However, in the presence of strong harmonic excitation, the application of OMA is not straightforward. To overcome this difficulty, the Transmissibility Function-Based (TFB) method is proposed. The major advantage of this approach is its independence from the excitation nature and its ability to separate structural poles from spurious ones. The main novelty of this paper lies in the investigation of the TFB approach to identify the modal properties of a machine tool, during machining operations. Identified modal model through an Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) of the considered machine tool, at rest, presents our reference modal base to validate results obtained through the TFB approach. For a comparison purpose, the modified Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition (EFDD) method is also investigated. Both methods enable the identification of the modal properties under operational conditions, with a clear advantage to the TFB approach due to its ability to eliminate all of the preponderant harmonic components from the measured data without the need of any additional selection criteria. The TFB method is thus a reliable technique for the identification of modal parameters of a machine tool in operational conditions.

Regenerative chatter easily occurs in milling and has become the common limitation to achieve good surface quality and high productivity. For the purpose of chatter avoidance, the structural effect of the thin-walled part should be considered for the milling chatter stability analysis for the optimization of axial cutting depth and spindle speed pairs. The main objective of this paper is to examine the link between the structural modes (i.e. modal shapes) and the chatter stability limits in the case of finish milling thin-walled workpieces. In this paper, the dynamic stability of the milling process of thin-walled workpieces is investigated through a two-degree-of-freedom mechanical model. The mathematical relationship between the critical axial depth and the thin-walled part modal shapes is deduced and an optimal calculation process of milling stability lobes is presented. Peripheral milling of aluminium alloy (2A70 Al) plates is carried out on a computer numerically controlled (CNC) five-axis super high-speed machining centre to validate the method. The experimental results agree with the prediction by the presented method. Additionally, the experimental results show that the cutting stability is also influenced by the modal frequencies of the thin-walled part, which have a great influence on the milling stability analysis when the tool passing frequency (i.e. the inverse of the tooth passing period) harmonics are close to the modal frequencies of the part. The presented method is effective in the prediction of milling chatter limits in the thin-walled case for the optimization of machining parameters.