The dynamics of a rotating Rayleigh beam subject to a force travelling at a constant speed along the axial direction is studied. The beam is chosen as a simple model of the workpiece in the lathing process. A technique is developed for modeling the repetitive cutting force on the workpiece. The amplitude of the cutting force is chosen to be either constant or dependent on the motion of the beam. The discretized equations of motion of the rotating beam are obtained by Galerkin's method. The time response of the rotating beam subject to the external force is discussed. The possible resonant conditions resulting in divergent solutions are studied. The stability of the response, due to a travelling motion-dependent force, is determined by the method of multiple scales. The effects of varying the rotating frequency, the travelling speed of the external force, and the movement of the force are also investigated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
