Prediction of cutting forces in flank milling of parts with non-developable ruled surfaces

Predicting the cutting forces required for five-axis flank milling is a challenging task due to the difficulties involved in determining the Undeformed Chip Thickness(UCT) and CutterWorkpiece Engagement(CWE). To solve these problems, this paper presents a new mechanistic cutting force model based on the geometrical analysis of a flank milling process. In the model,the part feature and corresponding cutting location data are taken as input information. The UCT considering cutter runout is calculated according to the instantaneous feed rate of the element cutting edges. A solid-discrete-based method is used to precisely and efficiently identify the CWE between the end mill and the surface being machined. Then, after calibrating the specific force coef-ficients, the mechanistic milling force can be obtained. During the validation process, two practical operations, three-axis flank milling of a vertical surface and five-axis flank milling of a nondevelopable ruled surface, are conducted. Comparisons between predicted and measured cutting forces demonstrate the reliability of the proposed cutting force model.