This paper presents tool path generation for sculptured surfaces that are highly twisted, rolled, and bent. NC tool path has a direct effect on machining time Long paths take a lot of time for machining, however short paths do not. Five-axis machining...
This paper presents tool path generation for sculptured surfaces that are highly twisted, rolled, and bent. NC tool path has a direct effect on machining time Long paths take a lot of time for machining, however short paths do not. Five-axis machining has weak points as well as strong points. It has great tool accessibility for sculptured surfaces, however, to avoid gouging and collision, path planning is very much time consuming. This paper suggests an approach of tool axis vector to avoid gouging and collision. A flat end-mill is utilized for machining, which increases the material removal rate. Path intervals between adjacent paths are maintained for the cusp height to be close to the limit, which will shorten both tool path and machining time. This paper calculates the cusp height utilizing the transformation of geometric data. Gouging should be avoided to meet part specifications and surface finishes. This research employs approximation for interference check between a part surface and a cutting tool. This paper will discuss the tool path generation for the backboard of a wooden chair as an illustrative example.