FORCE PREDICTION MODELS AND CAD-CAM SOFTWARE FOR HELICAL TOOTH MILLING PROCESSES .2. PERIPHERAL MILLING OPERATIONS

The domain of the many process variables for peripheral milling operations has been established and used for the identification, numerical assessment and experimental verification of the appropriate predictive force model as well as the development of cutter design strategies. The 'eccentricity' model has been shown to be the appropriate model for peripheral milling operations where the average, peak and fluctuating forces, torque and power are to be predicted. The simpler 'ideal case' model proved useful for predicting the average forces and torque as well as locating the conditions for zero or minimum fluctuations from explicit mathematical equations derived from the model. The 'eccentricity' model has been experimentally verified and shown to give good quantitative predictions. Based on the models strategies for cutter design have been developed and used to explain, and recommend improvements to, the rationalized commercial cutter designs. The unified mechanics of cutting approach and modular software has been successfully extended to peripheral milling and its validity for end-milling and slotting operations will be assessed in future parts of this investigation.