Industrial robots have gained prominence due to their large workspace and cost-effectiveness. However, their limited static and dynamic compliance restricts their machining capabilities across various materials. Particularly, the inadequate dynamic stiffness of milling robots results in detrimental phenomena like mode coupling chatter and regenerative chatter, even at shallow cutting depths. These issues detrimentally impact performance, product quality, tool, and may even induce damage to robot components. This study focuses on addressing the challenge of low dynamic stiffness in milling robots by employing active damping. The active control system employs an acceleration sensor to detect vibrations in real time and an actuator to counteract undesirable oscillations based on the controlled signal. However, the actuator’s inherent natural frequencies often align with the robot’s structural modes, limiting its efficacy in damping low-frequency vibrations. To overcome this, a compensator is proposed utilizing pole-placement techniques, effectively suppressing actuator-related modes, and enhancing suitability for attenuating low-frequency vibrations. Experimental results reveal a substantial enhancement of up to ~ 103% in robot dynamic stiffness because stiffness is increased by ~ 103% at the natural frequency of the robot. This improvement proportionately increases the stability limit and enables chatter-free material removal, consequently elevating the overall performance of the robotic milling system. This advancement holds promise for expanding the capabilities of industrial robots in various machining applications.