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Design and dynamic optimization of an ultraprecision diamond flycutting

machine tool for large KDP crystal machining

Article  in  The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology · October 2013

DOI: 10.1007/s00170-013-5020-z

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Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 69:237–244
DOI 10.1007/s00170-013-5020-z
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Design and dynamic optimization of an ultraprecision
diamond flycutting machine tool for large KDP
crystal machining
Yingchun Liang & Wanqun Chen & Qingshun Bai &
Yazhou Sun & Guoda Chen & Qiang Zhang & Yang Sun
Received: 23 August 2012 / Accepted: 16 April 2013 / Published online: 4 May 2013
# Springer-Verlag London 2013
Abstract This paper presents the design and dynamic opti-
mization of an ultraprecision diamond flycutting machine
tool for producing flat half-meter-scale optics. A novel tool
holder is designed, which can achieve micron-level axial
feeding and tool angle accurate adjustment, and new tech-
nology is also used to allow alignment of the spindle axis to
the horizontal-slide travel. The design and characteristic
analyses of this machine tool are presented, including the
static, modal, harmonic, and rotor dynamic analysis for
predicting its static and dynamic performance. A prototype
is built based on the analysis and FE model considering the
joint parameters. The machining test shows that this ma-
chine tool can successfully produce 415×415-mm surfaces
on aluminum and crystalline optics, with 1.3-μm flatness
and 2.4-nm rms roughness. Moreover, the differences of
design concepts are discussed between the ultraprecision
machine tool for optical parts machining and the conven-
tional machine tool.
Keywords Design method . Optical parts . Machine
dynamics . Flycutting
1 Introduction
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal is a kind
of crystal material with good nonlinear optical and
Y. Liang : W. Chen (*) : Q. Bai : Y. Sun : G. Chen : Q. Zhang :
Y. Sun
Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology,
Harbin 150001 Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China
e-mail: chwq@hit.edu.cn
electro-optical properties. It is mainly used as a harmonic
frequency converter in modern high-energy solid-state la-
sers, polarization rotators in Pockels cells, and laser fusion
system in the Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program
[1–3]. The KDP crystal has extremely harsh requirements of
the topography in ICF program not only for the root mean
square (RMS) but also for the power spectral density (PSD).
The specific indexes for KDP crystal are shown in Fig. 1. It
requires roughness values less than 3 nm in 0.01~0.12 mm,
RMS of no more than 4.2 nm and PSD2 better than 15 nm2
mm in 0.12~2.5 mm, the RMS less than 6.4 nm and PSD1
better than 15 nm2 mm in 2.5~33 mm, and gradient root
mean square gradient better than 11 nm/cm in the range over
33 mm.
However, this material is extremely soft, fragile, gyro-
scopic, and thermally sensitive. As a result, the traditional
grinding and polishing methods are not suitable for process-
ing this kind of material. Moreover, the KDP crystal is a
negative single-axis crystal and belongs to a tetragonal
system, which has strong anisotropy in terms of physical
and mechanical properties. The coupling effect of vibration
due to machine tool and cutting force will lower the surface
quality of machining KDP crystal, which is difficult to
eliminate. Therefore, flying cutting format is usually applied
to machining KDP crystal, by which the influence of mate-
rial anisotropy on surface quality is reduced by its single
cutting direction. With the increasing requirements for large-
sizes KDP crystals, it is urgently needed to develop an
ultraprecision diamond flycutting machine tool for pro-
ducing a flat surface on half-meter-scale optics. In 1999,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory developed a
vertical-axis diamond flycutting machine based on
Moore Tool Company #5 Jig Boring Machine for
238
Fig. 1 Band designations of the evaluation index for optical lens
producing flat half-meter-scale optics, which can be
used to realize the precision machining of KDP crystals
[4]. However, little reports have been found on the
design of this kind of machine tool used for
ultraprecision machining. In this paper, the design and
dynamic optimization of an ultraprecision diamond
flycutting machine tool for producing a flat surface on
half-meter-scale optics are presented.
Machining dynamics play an essential role in the
performance of machine tools and machining processes,
which directly affects the material removal rate, work-
piece surface quality, as well as dimensional and form
accuracy [5]. In actual machining, various forces from
the cutting process, the drive system, and the outside
influence will affect the machine–workpiece–tool elastic
system [6–8]. However, despite its obvious technical
and economic importance and tremendous progress in
machining technology during the last few decades, ma-
chining dynamics still remains as one of the least un-
derstood manufacturing science topics. Therefore, it is
usually believed that the machining performance is pro-
portional to the dynamic characteristics. In other words,
it is generally believed that higher dynamic stiffness
causes better machining results, but in this research
the opposite conclusion is obtained. The unqualified
optical lens is found to be caused by higher stiffness.
Reducing the stiffness appropriately can yield a better
machining result. This paper elaborates the structural
design and the rational allocation dynamic stiffness of
an ultraprecision machine tool for machining the KDP
crystals.
Fig. 2 Two typical machine configurations: a open frame and b closed frame
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 69:237–244
2 Design and analysis of machine structure
2.1 Configuration design
Proper modeling and analysis of the mechanical structures
are critical since the mechanical structure not only provides
the support and accommodation for all of the machine’s
components but also contributes to dynamics performance
[9–12]. Hence, configuration design is an important stage of
the machine tool design. An appropriate configuration can
improve the strength and stiffness of the machine tool,
minimizing the deformation caused by thermal effects and
its own gravity.
In this design, to improve the accuracy of the machine
tool, the axial size of each component should be minimized
to shorten the cantilever and reduce the deformation error.
Besides, it must be noted that the direction perpendicular to
the tool tip and the workpiece is the sensitive direction,
which determines the machining accuracy. A tiny movement
of the tool tip will directly be copied on the surface of the
workpiece in single-point diamond turning.
Based on the earlier analysis, two typical configura-
tions, an open-frame structure and a closed one, are pro-
posed in Fig. 2. In order to reduce the stowing distortion,
the vacuum chuck is used in both designs. The configu-
ration in the left graph is horizontal open type, and the
one to the right is gantry closed type. The structure loop
of each machine tool is given by the white line. The
structure loop of the first scheme is open frame (G type),
which is compact, short, easy to assemble, and can access
the work zone but sensitive to thermal and mechanical
deformation. It is suitable for machining small parts,
whereas a large size (415×415 mm) workpiece is required
in this design.
The second one is closed frame (portal type) and has a
symmetric structure, which can improve the rigidity of the
machine tool and reduce thermal deformation. Heat from
the spindle bearing and motor creates a symmetrical tem-
perature profile in the bridge when the spindle is centered,
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 69:237–244
Fig. 3 Feed mechanism in Z
direction: a spindle proceeding
equipment and b tool holder
proceeding equipment
reducing squareness errors caused by thermal distortion of
the bridge. Centering the spindle in the bridge also pro-
vides a stiffer structural loop between the tool and the
workpiece and a lower rotational inertia about the long
axis of the bridge. It is suitable for machining larger-size
workpieces. Therefore, gantry type is adopted in this
design.
2.2 Design of the feed mechanism in Z direction
The feed of the cutting tool is driven by a slide in traditional
design, it will inevitably cause the complexity of structure
and increase the length of kinematic chain from the perspec-
tive of kinematics and dynamics. Lu and Slocum designed a
hydrostatic spindle to achieve both rotary motion for cut-
ting and millimetric range linear motion along the axial
direction for feeding as shown in Fig. 3a. The advantages
of such rotary–axial spindles include stiffer structure
loops, fewer components, higher accuracy and resolution,
and less heat generation [13], but it is difficult to manu-
facture. In this design, a novel tool holder is designed and
used to realize the axial feeding which consists of rotary
Fig. 4 The flycutting machine
tool and main components: a
flycutting machine tool, b
aerostatic spindle, c leveling
device, d vacuum chuck, e
hydrostatic slideway, f tool
holder
239
table, tool holder, feed shaft and cutter tool in Fig. 3b.
This device can achieve micron-level feeding in axial
direction as well as precise adjustment of tool angle in
circumferential direction. Moreover, the arbor telescopic
travel is larger than 30 mm. This design not only sim-
plifies the structure and reduces the number of moving
parts but also shortens the length of structure loop
and improves the dynamic performance of the machine
tool.
2.3 Detail design
The configuration of the flycutting machine is shown in
Fig. 4. A bridge supports a vertical-axis spindle and flycutter
over a horizontal-axis slide. Mounted to the horizontal slide
is a vacuum chuck which fixes the workpiece by vacuum
power. The surface to be machined lies in a horizontal plane.
The aerostatic bearings are used in the vertical-axis spindle
due to its inherent advantages of high positioning accuracy
and smoothness of motion [14]. A large support surface is
used to improve the axial stiffness. The hydrostatic bearings
are also employed in the horizontal axis slide to improve the
240
Fig. 5 The leveling device
stiffness. Both of them improve the stiffness of the sensitive
direction in machining.
The structure of the machine tool consists of a machine
tool bed, a column, adjustment pads, spherical pads, and a
beam. Furthermore, a novel technology is used to ensure
that the axis of the spindle is perpendicular to the workpiece,
as shown in Fig. 5. In this technology, three pairs of spher-
ical supports are adopted, two in the right side and one in the
left side, forming an isosceles triangle distribution, by re-
vising the screws to align the spindle axis to the horizontal-
slide travel.
3 Finite element modeling and dynamic analysis
3.1 Finite element modeling of the whole machine tool
The joint characteristics of the machine tool such as the bolt
joint and the bearing connection have great impact on the
dynamic performance [15–17]. Therefore, the modeling ap-
proach of the junction directly determines the accuracy of
the finite element (FE) model of the machine tool. However,
junction modeling is difficult. Therefore, in the past model-
ing process, the junctions are often simplified or ignored,
Fig. 6 FEM models of
mechanical structure. a The FE
model of the whole machine
tool. b FE model of spindle. c
Contact element. d Link
element and coupling
constraints element
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 69:237–244
but in this paper, the junctions are modeled as far as metic-
ulous matrix27 elements are introduced to represent the
aerostatic, hydrostatic bearing, and linear motors. Elements
conta173 and targe170 are applied to the contact pairs of the
adjustment pad and spherical pad, respectively. Besides, the
link element and coupling constraints element are used to
simulate the bolt joint. The FE model of the whole machine
is shown in Fig. 6; the 3D-integrated modeling aims to
accurately evaluate and optimize the dynamic performance
of the overall machine.
3.2 Spindle simulation analysis and performance prediction
The spindle is the key element of the machine tool; its static
and dynamic characters directly affect the machining accu-
racy. A larger area thrust disc is used to improve the axial
stiffness. However, it is easy to cause the vibration of the
rotor system, resulting in lowering the mechanical efficiency
and reducing the service life [18–20]. Therefore, rotor dy-
namic analysis and harmonic analysis considering the gyro-
scopic effects are used to analyze the aerostatic spindle. The
Campbell diagram and the result of the harmonic analysis
are shown in Fig. 7. It shows that the critical speed of the
spindle is 1,450 rpm, which is three times larger than the
maximum operating speed (400 rpm), completely meeting
the design requirement. Besides, there are only two natural
frequencies which occurred in the frequency range of 0–
1,000 Hz; the biggest amplitude is 0.1 μm occurring in
263 Hz, which shows that the spindle has a good dynamic
performance.
3.3 Dynamic analysis of the machine tool
Modal and harmonic analyses are carried out on the FE
model. The results in Fig. 8 show that the first mode of
the machine tool is the column swing from side to side
(230 Hz; Fig. 8a), the second mode is the turning of the
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 69:237–244
Fig. 7 Rotor dynamic analysis
of the spindle. a Campbell
diagram. b Harmonic analysis
beam (240 Hz; Fig. 8b), and the third mode is the spindle
swing (270 Hz; Fig. 8d). Higher-order vibration shapes from
the fourth to the sixth modes in Fig. 8e, f, h are regarded as
combined shapes and are difficult to describe. It shows that
the spindle and the slide have higher stiffness than the
column, and the whole machine has good dynamic stiffness.
Fig. 8 Dynamic analysis and test of the machine tool. a, b, d, e, f, h
The first six-order natural frequency of the machine tool. i Experimental
and simulation frequency response of initial state. j Experimental
241
4 Dynamic performance test and optimization
The ultraprecision diamond flycutting machine tool has
been built based on the preceding analysis and the design
method in Fig. 9. The main specifications of this machine
tool are summarized in Table 1.
and simulation frequency response after adjustment. c, g New natural
frequency after adjustment
242
Fig. 9 Experimental setup of
the whole machine. a The
ultraprecision flycutting
machine tool. b Accelerometer
distribution
The modal test is carried out to determine the dynamic
characteristics of the machine tool. Eight accelerometers are
staggered radially from each other on the fly cutting head,
and the exciting point is near the cutting tool. Good corre-
lation has been found between the experimental and simu-
lation, as shown in Fig. 8i. The machine tool has good
dynamic stiffness (the lowest frequency is 230 Hz). Then,
the machining test is carried out. It indicates that this ma-
chine tool can successfully produce 415×415-mm surfaces
on aluminum and crystalline optics, with 1.3-μm flatness
and 2.4-nm rms roughness. It also shows stable machining
characteristics. However, the vertical stripes whose period is
about 17.3 mm and amplitude of about 15 nm are found in
the laser interferometer in Fig. 10. The vertical stripes are in
the evaluation range of the PSD1 (2.5–33 mm), as shown in
Fig. 1; they can lead to nonlinear amplification of the beam
and attenuate the intensity of light which does not meet the
requirement of the optical lens.
In order to keep a better accuracy of PSD1, the period of
vertical stripes on the crystal surface should not be less than
33 mm. The surface of the workpiece accurately records any
vibration of the tool–workpiece structural loop, so vertical
stripes reflect the natural dynamic characteristics of the
ultraprecision machine tool. It is generated by the cyclical
reciprocating motion between the tool tip and the work-
piece. The relationship between the period of the vertical
stripes and natural frequency of a certain order can be
expressed by Eq. (3), which is as follows:
pd  n0  cos θ
wn ¼
60TD
Table 1 Specifications of the ultraprecision flycutting machine tool
Concrete axis
Spindle Axis
Type Air bearing Oil bearing
Stroke 100–400 rpm 600 mm
Motion accuracy Axial runout <0.016 μm 0.1 μm/100 mm
Drive system DC brushless torque motor Brushless linear motor
Stiffness 3,754 N/μm 3,513 N/μm
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 69:237–244
where d denotes the diameter of the flyhead (d=630 mm), n0
denotes the speed of spindle (n0=300 rpm), θ denotes the
maximum angle of the tangent direction in the cutting pro-
cess (θ=0o), and TD denotes the period of the vertical stripes
(TD=17.3 mm).
According to Eq. (1), ωn equals to 572 Hz, which ac-
cords with the sixth-order natural frequency 580 Hz. There-
fore, the vertical stripes are mainly generated by the sixth-
order natural frequency. The solution to deal with the period
of vertical stripes affecting the PSD1 is discussed as fol-
lows: reducing the stiffness of the machine tool to forward
the dominant resonant frequency which affects the period of
the vertical stripes. It will make the period of the vertical
stripes increase and go to the evaluation range of the RMS
gradient rather than PSD1. According to the structure loop
of the machine tool shown in Fig. 2b, the overall stiffness of
machine tool kall can be given as:
1
kall ¼ ð2Þ
1
þ kcon
1
þ k1s þ k1g þ k1t þ k1c
kb
where kb, ks, kg, kt, kc, and kcon are the stiffness of the beam,
spindle, guideway, tool, column, and contact stiffness of the
beam and the column respectively. kcon can be obtained as:
dpn p1m
kcon ¼ ¼ n ð3Þ
dl cm
where Pn is the average pressure of the joint surface deter-
mined by the preload and contact area, and c and m are
constants determined by the combination conditions. It is
ð1Þ easy to see that kb, ks, kg, kt, kc, and kc are much larger than
the contact stiffness kcon, so decreasing the kcon is the most
effective way to reduce the stiffness of the whole machine
compared with the other stiffness coefficients. The kcon can
be decreased by reducing the preload of the bolt. Detailed
pictorial descriptions of the dynamic characteristic of the
machine tool for initial and adjusted state are shown in
Fig. 11. The first-order frequency decreases from 230 to
150 Hz, the second-order frequency decreases from 240 to
170 Hz, and the third-order frequency reflects the stiffness
of the spindle with the unchanged value (270 Hz). A new
natural frequency (193 Hz) occurs between the second- and
third-order frequency; the mode of vibration is that the
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 69:237–244
Fig. 10 The test result of the initial state
Fig. 11 Comparison of the natural frequency about initial state and
adjustment
Fig. 12 The test result of the adjusted state
243
spindle goes up and down with the beam. The fourth-, fifth-,
and sixth-order frequency decrease from 330, 250, and 580
to 250, 272, and 380 Hz, respectively, and a new frequency
occurs between the fifth- and sixth-order frequency. The
adjusted machine tool is used to machining the same work-
piece, which is measured by a laser interferometer. The
measured results are shown in Fig. 12. It shows that the
period of the vertical stripes are increased from 17.3 to
52.1 mm. It can be noted that the vertical stripes are detected
by the third frequency after the adjustment. The influence of
the vertical stripes is changed from PSD1 to the RMS
gradient.
Due to the special requirement of the optical compo-
nents, the stiffness of ultraprecision machine tool is not the
higher the better under the same damping condition. The
design concepts of the ultraprecision machine tool used to
optical parts is different from the traditional machine tool
because the optical lens have strict functional requirements
on the surface morphology. Therefore, the reasonable ratio
of the stiffness and damping is very important in the
design of the ultraprecision machine tool for optical parts
machining.
244
5 Conclusion and discussion
The design and dynamic optimization of an ultraprecision
diamond flycutting machine tool for machining large KDP
crystal is presented in this paper. A general approach to the
design of precision machine tools with emphasis on ma-
chine dynamics has been presented. Design issues such as
machine–cutting tool–workpiece loops have been discussed,
and a systematic structure is designed to minimize the
thermal effects and stiff structural loop and hence be able
to enhance their design performance. The design concepts of
the ultraprecision machine tool used to optical parts are
different to the traditional machine tool due to the functional
requirements of the optical lens. It is unsuitable to design the
ultraprecision machine with the traditional machine design
concept. The following major conclusions are drawn:
1. The principles and the methodology for modeling the
junction of precision machine tools have been discussed
in this paper, i.e., bolt joint and the bearing connection.
The FE model containing the junction has provided
practical and logical guidelines for the design of preci-
sion machine tools.
2. The relationship between the machine dynamic charac-
teristics and the surface waviness is established. In
addition, the control method for surface waviness is
put forward.
3. A prototype is built under the guidance of the FE model,
which could successfully produce 415×415-mm sur-
faces on aluminum and crystalline optics, with 1.3-μm
flatness and 2.4-nm rms roughness.
4. The dynamic performance for the ultraprecision ma-
chine tool for optical parts machining is not as higher
as better, and the rational allocation dynamic stiffness of
an ultraprecision machine tool for machining the KDP
crystals is optimized in this study.
Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial
support of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young
Scholars of China (grant number 50925521).
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