Optimal and collision free tool posture in five-axis machining through the tight integration of tool path generation and machine simulation

The generation of collision free NC-programs for multi-axis milling operations is a critical task, which leads to multi-axis milling machines being exploited below their full capacities. Today, CAM systems, generating the tool path, do not take the multi-axis machine movements into account. They generate a multi-axis tool path, described by a sequence of tool postures (tool tip + tool orientation), which is then converted by a NC-postprocessor to a machine specific NC-program. As the postprocessing is normally done in batch mode, the NC-programmer does not know how the machine will move and the chance for having collisions between (moving) machine components is often very high. The execution of a machine test run or the application of a machine simulation system (NC-simulation) is the only solution to inform the NC-programmer about possible machine collisions during operation. This paper describes a multi-axis tool path generation algorithm where the tool orientation is optimised to avoid machine collisions and at the same time to maximise the material removal rate along the tool track. To perform efficient collision avoidance, the tool path generation module (traditional CAM), the postprocessing (axes transformation) and machine simulation has been integrated into one system. Cutting tests have been carried out to define the allowable tool orientation changes for optimisation and collision avoidance without disturbing the surface quality. The developed multi-axis tool path generation algorithm is applicable for the machining of several part surfaces within one operation. This, together with tool path generation functionality to adapt the tool orientation for both, maximal material removal and avoidance of collisions between (moving) machine components, are the innovative aspects of the presented research work. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.