Paper 22: Metal Surfaces in Contact under Normal Forces: Some Dynamic Stiffness and Damping Characteristics

Abstract

This paper describes an experimental investigation into the dynamic stiffness characteristics of flat joints subjected to an alternating force superimposed on a steady pre-load. The joints consist of the interfaces between mild-steel discs arranged in a column, in sets with surfaces either turned or lapped together. The influences of pre-load and of alternating force frequency were investigated for both dry and oiled joints, for different values of surface finish, apparent joint area and oil viscosity. The ranges of the conditions considered are compatible with those existing in typical machine tool structures. It was found that the dynamic stiffness of dry joints is independent of frequency and no energy dissipation is measurable. The stiffness is primarily a function of pre-load and surface finish, with apparent joint area becoming important only for very good surface finishes. If oil is introduced into the joint interface, a quadrature stiffness component arises and is accompanied by an increase in the ‘in-phase’ stiffness component. The magnitudes of the oil film stiffness components decrease sharply with an increase in the effective oil film thickness, which is governed primarily by the surface roughness. They increase with oil viscosity, the apparent joint area and the frequency of vibration, and represent a potentially valuable source of vibration damping in engineering structures.