Methods for tool geometric parameter and tool path planning in rough milling axial-flow surface parts

In rough milling of an axial-flow surface part with twisted channels, two additional rotation axes take an important role in the selection of tool geometric parameters as well as the planning of the tool path. To improve manufacturing productivity, the synchronous planning method of tool geometric parameters and tool path without interference is studied. The mathematical model with the interference constraint is established to optimize the tool geometric volume. The objective is to improve material removal volume. According to the nonlinear mathematical relationship between the tool geometric volume and disc tool geometric parameters as well as tool orientation, the issue of the synchronous planning method of tool geometric parameters and tool path is transformed into the solution of the tool geometric volume optimization problem with the aid of the feasible machining space (FMS). The planning method of tool geometric parameters and tool path based on the optimal feed direction (OFD) is also proposed. The interference-free tool orientation is optimized by adjusting the tool axis vector. Test results show that material removal volume in one-pass milling using the synchronous planning method and the optimization method based on the OFD are 39.7% and 63.9% of total material volume, respectively, while the lengths of tool paths are 739.1 and 3659 mm, respectively, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed methods.