Recent progress in flexible supporting technology for aerospace thin-walled parts: A review

Abstract Thin-walled parts are widely used in the aerospace industry owing to their light weight and high specific strength. However, due to the low rigidity of thin-walled parts, elastic deformation and chatter easily occur, which seriously affect the machining accuracy and workpiece surface quality. To solve this problem, several supporting technologies have been reported in recent years. This paper reviews the recent research progress of flexible supporting technologies in the aerospace field by classifying them based on different principles and characteristics. The principle, progress, advantages, and limitations of the technologies are expounded by systematic comparison and summarized. Finally, the challenges and future development trends of flexible supporting technology, which will provide guidelines for further research, are discussed.