Research on cutting parameter optimization for plunge-cutting of cyclo-palloid spiral bevel gears

Cyclo-Palloid spiral bevel gears hold significant application value in high-end equipment manufacturing due to their superior transmission smoothness and high load-bearing characteristics. However, traditional machining processes face technical bottlenecks such as pronounced cutting force fluctuations and low processing efficiency. This research systematically investigates kinematic modeling, cutting force formation mechanisms, finite element numerical simulation, and process parameter optimization for the plunge-cutting process, utilizing the YKV2250 fully CNC spiral bevel gear milling machine platform. By establishing a precise machining kinematic model, a cutting force prediction model was developed based on the instantaneous cutting area theory. The cutting force coefficients required by the theoretical model were calibrated through physical specimen-cutting tests. The ABAQUS finite element analysis platform was employed to reveal the mapping relationships between key cutting parameters (particularly feed rate) and cutting forces. Building upon this, a process parameter optimization method based on the constant cutting-area principle was proposed. Under the investigated finite element conditions, the proposed method reduced the cutting force fluctuation range by approximately 79.4%. Meanwhile, the required number of feed cycles was reduced from 272 to 185, corresponding to a reduction of 31.99%. These results indicate the potential of the proposed method to improve cutting force stability and machining efficiency.