SIMULATION OF 5-AXIS MILLING SURFACE MORPHOLOGY USING BALL NOSE CUTTER

The prediction of milled surface morphology in CAM software typically overlooks the interactions between the workpiece and tool, resulting in an approximate prediction of surface morphology. This study intends to enhance the prediction accuracy by simulating the actual cutting edge motion in 5-axis ball-end milling to overcome the limitations for applications requiring accurate surface morphology prediction. The CAM data generated by commercial software is processed first, and a detailed geometrical model for ball-nose cutting edges is developed. Then, the trochoidal motion of the cutting edges is simulated. Finally, a structured grid is used to represent the final machined surface.