FORCE PREDICTION MODELS AND CAD/CAM SOFTWARE FOR HELICAL TOOTH MILLING PROCESSES .3. END-MILLING AND SLOTTING OPERATIONS

In the last part of this series of investigations on helical milling operations, the appropriate models for quantitative predictions of forces, torque and power in end-milling and slotting operations have been identified by extensive numerical simulation and experimental testing. For end-milling operations, the 'eccentricity' model for rigid cutters has been found to be adequate for light cutting conditions, whereas for 'heavy' cutting conditions the more comprehensive 'deflection' model, incorporating cutter deflections and eccentricity, is necessary. By contrast, the 'deflection' model is the most appropriate model for all the cutting conditions in slotting operations. A method of detecting when the cutter deflection effect becomes significant is also proposed. The simplest and popular 'ideal case' model for rigid cutters with no eccentricity has been shown to be useful for qualitative predictions of all the force characteristics and for establishing conditions for zero or minimum force and torque fluctuations. The findings of the present investigation lend further support to the applicability of the unified mechanics of cutting approach for developing reliable predictive models for force, torque and power in practical machining operations.