Optimal fixture design in peripheral milling of thin-walled workpiece

In order to optimize the positions of the locators in peripheral milling of a thin-walled workpiece, a finite element model along with an accurate cutting forces model is proposed in this paper. The finite element model takes into account the thickness variations of the workpiece in peripheral milling. The locators on the secondary locating surface directly influence the surface errors in peripheral milling of thin-walled workpiece, so this paper deals with the optimization of the positions of the locators on the secondary locating surface. A method including two steps is presented. In the first step, the initial positions of the locators are determined by adding the locators at the position with the maximum deformation. In the second step, a heuristic algorithm is proposed to optimize the positions of the locators. Finally, a simulation example is used to illustrate the method.