Tool path planning for NC milling of convex polygonal faces: Minimisation of non-cutting area

Face milling is one of the most important machining operations in industry for producing flat surfaces. Substantial research has been conducted in the field of optimisation of machining parameters for face milling, without considering the impact of tool path selection. Choosing an efficient tool path can reduce the tool travel time considerably. In this paper, the authors present a mathematical model that determines an efficient cutter path in staircase-type face milling on an n-sided convex polygon. The algorithm developed minimises the total non-cutting area. The areas of application of this algorithm are suggested and the scope for future research is discussed.