Ball end mills are frequently used in machining of sculptured surfaces. For the enhancement of productivity and efficiency in automated machining of such surfaces and the prediction of the time for tool exchange due to tool wear, the knowledge about t...
Ball end mills are frequently used in machining of sculptured surfaces. For the enhancement of productivity and efficiency in automated machining of such surfaces and the prediction of the time for tool exchange due to tool wear, the knowledge about the forces is essential. This study performs geometric analysis and numerical calculation for the etaluation of cutting forces in ball end milling process. A cutting force model is based on the specific cutting pressure KT and the proportionality constants KR and KZ that depend on the uncut chip thickness. The validity of model is demonstrated by comparing with experimental cutting force results. It is illustrated that the cutting forces are affected mainly by the mean chip thickness. Moreover the significance of workpiece material properties is indicated by the large cutting forces in machining of SKD11 compared with SM45C.