Improved positioning of a conical mill for machining ruled surfaces: Application to turbine blades

Abstract

For this short communication, side milling ruled surfaces using a conical milling cutter is studied. Conical mill machining is a field that has largely been ignored by research scientists but it is much used in industry especially to machine turbine blades. In this study, an ‘optimum’ positioning to respect the directrices of the ruled surface is suggested. In comparison with the methods already developed for the cylindrical tool, this positioning also enables interference between the milling cutter and the workpiece to be reduced. The work led to a development project for a computer aided manufacturing program in co-operation with the Sapex-Profor Company.

Keywords

five-axis numerical control machining conical mill ruled surfaces

References

Qiulin

Davies

B. J.

Surface Engineering Geometry for Computer Aided Design and Manufacture, 1987 (Ellis Horwood, Chichester, West Sussex).

Elber

Russ

5 axis free-form surface milling using piecewise ruled surface approximation. Trans. ASME, J. Engng for Industry, 1997, 119(3), 383–387.

Faux

I. D.

Pratt

M. J.

Computational Geometry for Design and Manufacture, 1985 (Ellis Horwood, Chichester, West Sussex).

Piegl

On NURBS: A survey. IEEE Computer Graphics Applic., 1991, 11(1), 55–71.

Elber

Accessibility in 5-axis milling environment. Computer-Aided Des., 1994, 26(11), 796–802.

Gupta

Janardan

Majhi

Woo

Efficient geometric algorithms for workpiece orientation in 4- and 5-axis NC machining. Computer-Aided Des., 1996, 28(8), 577–587.

Lee

Y. S.

Tchang

T. C.

2-phases approach to global interference avoidance in 5-axis machining. Computer-Aided Des., 1995, 27(10), 715–729.

Stute

Storr

Sielaff

NC programming of ruled surfaces for five axis machining. Ann. CIRP, 1979, 28(1), 267–271.

Carmo

M. D.

Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces, 1976 (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey).

10.

Rehsteiner

Rewker

H. J.

Collision free five axis milling of twisted ruled surface. Ann. CIRP, 1993, 42(1), 457–461.

11.

Marciniak

Geometric Modelling for Numerically Controlled Machining, 1991 (Oxford University Press, Oxford).

12.

Rubio

Lagarrigue

Dessein

Pastor

Calculation of tool paths for a torus mill on free-form surfaces five-axis machines with detection and elimination of interference. Int. J. Advd Mfg Technol., 1998, 14(1), 13–20.

13.

Liu

X. W.

Five-axis NC cylindrical milling of sculptured surfaces. Computer-Aided Des., 1995, 27(12), 887–894.

14.

Lee

Y. S.

Koc

Ellipse-offset approach and inclined zig-zag method for multi-axis roughing of ruled surface pockets. Computer-Aided Des., 1998, 30(12), 957–971.

15.

Redonnet

J.-M.

Rubio

Dessein

Side milling of ruled surfaces-optimum positioning of the milling cutter and calculation of interference. Int. J. Advd Mfg Technol., 1998, 14(7), 459–465.

16.

Redonnet

J.-M.

Rubio

Dessein

Lagarrigue

Side milling of ruled surfaces-optimum tool radius determination and milling cutter positioning. In Second Scientific International Conference on Integrated Design and Manufacturing in Mechanical Engineering, Compiègne, France, 27–29 May 1998, pp. 811–818.