In machining processes, self excited vibration or chatter is often a source of problems associated with poor surface finish and reduced tool life. Chatter has been recognized as the critical factor limiting productivity, since it prevents the full utilization of the installed power of the machine tool. The basic cause of chatter is the dynamic interaction of the cutting process and the machine tool structure. Chatter in the cutting process can be significantly reduced by altering the machine tool structure design and also by controlling the machining process. Two methods of reducing machine tool chatter will be addressed in this paper. First, the improvement in the design of the machine tool by selecting nontraditional structural material, and second, ways of improving the machining processs will be discussed.
