A review of the deformation mechanism and control of low stiffness thin-walled parts

Thin-walled components, known for their lightweight and high-performance characteristics, hold significant strategic importance in industries such as aerospace, radar, and transportation. However, due to their inherently low stiffness—encompassing shear, bending, and torsional stiffness—these components are highly susceptible to deformation during machining. This deformation can adversely affect the geometric integrity and machining precision of the component, including dimensional accuracy, shape accuracy, and positional accuracy. Controlling the deformation of thin-walled components has thus become a critical research focus in recent years. This paper reviews the latest developments in the types of machining deformation, deformation mechanisms, and deformation control strategies for thin-walled components, aiming to equip readers with dynamic approaches for achieving high efficiency and precision in thin-walled component machining. The first section provides an overview of the definition, classification, and factors affecting the machining accuracy of thin-walled components. The second section discusses the mechanisms behind the deformation of thin-walled components, which result from a combination of multiple factors, including deformation caused by cutting forces, cutting temperature, residual stress, fixturing, and machining chatter. The third section reviews several methods for controlling deformation, including adaptive machining and error compensation, stability lobe diagrams and chatter suppression, deformation prediction and control, and energy field-assisted machining. These methods allow for the control and prevention of thin-walled component deformation before, during, and after machining. Finally, the paper summarizes the current challenges in thin-walled component machining and outlines future development trends. The research content and methods introduced in this paper, including theoretical analysis, experimental validation, and simulation analysis, provide researchers with a clear background and research roadmap, contributing to the exploration and improvement of high-precision machining techniques for thin-walled components in future research.