A Review on Chatter in Robotic Machining Process Regarding Both Regenerative and Mode Coupling Mechanism

During the last few decades, industrial robots have been widely used in various applications to develop a flexible and efficient manufacturing process such as material handling and welding. However, as a high value-added application, few robotic machining systems have been installed mainly due to the limitation from the chatter, which leads to the poor product quality and low productivity. Although researchers have been continuously investigating the robotic machining chatter, there is still a lack of understanding due to the complexity of the issue. This paper provides a comprehensive review on chatter-related issues during robotic machining tasks, including mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and identification methods regarding both regenerative chatter and mode coupling chatter. Due to the low stiffness and couple structure of industrial robots, both regenerate and mode coupling chatter can occur at different cutting conditions. The difference between two chatter mechanism in the robotic machining process are compared and a list of guidelines is provided to help in distinguishing these two types of chatter. Systemic analysis of the mechanisms of the chatter identification and suppression is presented providing a research basis for future studies.