Development of Tool Orientation Strategy with Alternative Orientation and Non-machinable Area Identification in 5-Axis Peripheral Milling of a Sculptured Surface based on a Faceted Models

The peripheral milling strategy of using a cylinder cutter is an effective strategy commonly used on planar or ruled surfaces because of its high material removal rate (MRR). However, using a peripheral milling strategy on a sculptured surface presents many difficulties in adjusting the tool orientation during the machining process. Due to the complexity of a sculptured surface, with its various normal vector directions, there is an increase in possible interference, reducing the effectiveness of peripheral milling if the tool orientation is not properly adjusted. In order to understand the peripheral milling process on a sculptured surface, which is difficult to do on a CAD surface (mathematical surface), this research developed a peripheral milling method for sculptured surfaces based on faceted models. To further enhance the effectiveness of the peripheral milling process, machining areas where it is difficult or impossible to apply peripheral milling are identified. In addition, an alternative tool orientation is determined with a reverse tool orientation if the initial tool orientation causes interference. Overall, in this research, the development of peripheral machining strategies goes from the generation of a tool path to an initial tool orientation, an alternative tool orientation, gouging detection, and the identification of non-machinable areas. Then, the strategy results of the process are simulated in 3D and the percentage of the applicable machining area is determined. The simulation indicates that the strategy of choosing an initial and alternative orientation of tools and then identifying non-machinable areas has been successfully developed for the five-axis peripheral milling of sculptured surfaces based on faceted models. This developed method successfully identified areas capable of being milled and maximized machining areas up to 80%. Thus, this strategy is highly applicable to the development of further peripheral milling strategies.