Three-Dimensional Stability Lobe Construction for Face Milling of Thin-Wall Components with Position-Dependent Dynamics and Process Damping

Titanium alloy thin-walled components are extensively used in aerospace engineering, yet their milling stability remains a persistent challenge due to vibration-induced surface anomalies. This study develops an advanced dynamic model for the face milling of titanium alloy thin-walled structures, systematically integrating axial cutting dynamics with regenerative chatter mechanisms and nonlinear process damping phenomena. The proposed framework crucially accounts for time-varying tool–workpiece interactions and damping characteristics, enabling precise characterization of stability transitions under dynamically varying axial immersion conditions. A novel extension of the semi-discretization method is implemented to resolve multi-parameter stability solutions, establishing a computational paradigm for generating three-dimensional stability lobe diagrams (3D SLDs) that concurrently evaluate spindle speed, cutting position, and the axial depth of a cut. Comprehensive experimental validation through time-domain chatter tests demonstrates remarkable consistency between theoretical predictions and empirical chatter thresholds. The results reveal that process damping significantly suppresses chatter at low spindle speeds, while regenerative effects dominate instability at higher speeds. This work provides a systematic framework for optimizing machining parameters in thin-walled component manufacturing, offering improved accuracy in stability prediction compared to traditional two-dimensional SLD methods. The proposed methodology bridges the gap between theoretical dynamics and industrial applications, facilitating efficient high-precision machining of titanium alloys.