Increasing productivity in sculpture surface machining via off-line piecewise variable feedrate scheduling based on the force system model

Sculpture surface machining is a critical process commonly used in various industries such as the automobile, aerospace, die/mold industries. Since there is a lack of scientific tools in practical process planning stages, feedrates for CNC machining are selected based on the trial errors and previous experiences. In the selections of the process parameters, production-planning engineers are conservative in order to avoid undesirable results such as chipping, cutter breakage or over-cut due to excessive cutter deflection. Currently, commonly used CAD/CAM programs use only the geometric and volumetric analysis, but not the physics of the processes, and rely on experience based cutting tool database and users’ inputs for selection of the process parameters such as feed and speed. Usually, the feeds and cutting speeds are set individual constant values all along the roughing, semi-finishing, and finishing processes. Being too conservative and setting feedrate constant all along the tool path in machining of sculpture surfaces can be quite costly for the manufacturers. However, a force model based on the physics of the cutting process will be greatly beneficial for varying the feedrate piecewise along the tool path.The model presented here is the first stage in order to integrate the physics of the ball-end milling process into the selection of the feeds during the sculpture surface machining. Therefore, in this paper, an enhanced mathematical model is presented for the prediction of cutting force system in ball end milling of sculpture surfaces. This physical force model is used for selecting varying and ‘appropriate’ feed values along the tool path in order to decrease the cycle time in sculpture surface machining. The model is tested under various machining conditions, and some of the results are also presented in the paper.     

FORCES AND TEMPERATURES IN HARD TURNING

In precision machining, due to the recent developments in cutting tools, machine tool structural rigidity and improved CNC controllers, hard turning is an emerging process as an alternative to some of the grinding processes by providing reductions in costs and cycle-times. In industrial environments, hard turning is established for geometry features of parts with low to medium requirements on part quality. Better understanding of cutting forces, stresses and temperature fields, temperature gradients created during the machining are very critical for achieving highest quality products and high productivity in feasible cycle times. To enlarge the capability profile of the hard turning process, this paper introduces prediction models of mechanical and thermal loads during turning of 51CrV4 with hardness of 68 HRC by a CBN tool. The shear flow stress, shear and friction angles are determined from the orthogonal cutting tests. Cutting force coefficients are determined from orthogonal to oblique transformations. Cutting forces, temperature field for the chip and tool are predicted and compared with experimental measurements. The experimental temperature measurements are conducted by the advanced hardware device FIRE-1 (Fiberoptic Ratio Pyrometer).     

Design and analysis of a new magneto rheological damper for washing machine

In this article, a new magneto rheological (MR) sponge damper is proposed for suppression of vibrations in a washing machine. The article presents design optimization of geometric parameters of MR sponge damper (MRSD) using the finite element analysis (FEA) and first order derivative techniques for a washing machine. The article explains the hysteresis behavior and the relationship of damping force with input current for the proposed MRSD. Moreover, the characteristics of the MRSD such as energy dissipation and equivalent damping coefficient are investigated experimentally in terms of input current and excitation amplitude. The passive dampers installed in washing machine are ineffective in reducing unwanted vibrations at resonant frequencies due to real time unbalanced mass. For this purpose, a test setup is established in order to compare the performance of passive dampers with the proposed MRSDs in a washing machine. It is noticed that MRSDs reduce average vibrations of 75.61 % in a low frequency band, whereas in a high frequency band, the MRSDs lessen average vibrations of 30.57 % in a washing machine. In order to determine the performance of proposed design MRSD, a detailed comparison of the performance parameters, such as total damping force, passive force, maximum average vibrations after suppression by MR dampers, maximum current and power ratings is provided with the existing designs of MR damper for washing machine from the literature.     

Sculpture surface machining: a generalized model of ball-end milling force system

A new mechanistic model is presented for the prediction of a cutting force system in ball-end milling of sculpture surfaces. The model has the ability to calculate the workpiece/cutter intersection domain automatically for a given cutter location (CL) file, cutter and workpiece geometries. Furthermore, an analytical approach is used to determine the instantaneous chip load (with and without runout) and cutting forces. In addition to predicting the cutting forces, the model also employs a Boolean approach for a given cutter, workpiece geometries, and CL file to determine the surface topography and scallop height variations along the workpiece surface which can be visualized in 3-D. The results of model validation experiments on machining Ti-6A1-4V are also reported. Comparisons of the predicted and measured forces as well as surface topography show good agreement.     

A CAM-based path generation method for rapid prototyping applications

A wide range of rapid prototyping (RP) methods are available commercially. Even though the hardware and production materials of these RP methods differ, their production techniques are built on the same idea: layer-by-layer material additive manufacturing. Whatever the material is used, it is deposited, vulcanized, or melted by following a pre-determined path, and each layer is stowed on the previous one to create the 3D model which is designed by using a computer-aided design program. The path which is followed while creating the model is very crucial. In this paper, a novel idea for path generation for RP processes is introduced. This new method is based on computer numerical controlled milling operation. Although the RP process and the milling process are completely opposite of each other since one of them is an additive and the other one is a subtractive method, the paths which are followed for these operations are very similar and based on the same idea: The progress goes on layer by layer. In this novel method, cutter location source files are used to create paths for RP processes. Examples of the prototypes produced by using this new method are also presented in the paper.     

Titanium machining with new plasma boronized cutting tools

Titanium is a commonly used material in various critical applications such as aerospace and biomedical applications. In this article, for the first time in the literature, development and implementation of a novel plasma boronizing process on Tungsten Carbide (WC) cutting tools is introduced. Plasma boronizing on WC tools is performed with gas combination of 10% BF₃, 40% Argon and 50% H₂ at different temperatures and durations. Performance enhancements of plasma boronized WC tools on Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) machining are investigated under various cutting conditions. It is found that new plasma boronizing of WC is a very cost effective solution for significantly increasing tool life in Titanium machining.     

Dynamics of boring processes: Part III-time domain modeling

This article presents a mathematical model and a computational algorithm for the time domain solution of boring process dynamics. The model is developed in a modular form; it includes a workpiece geometry and surface topography module, a kinamatics and tool position module, a dynamic chip load module, a dynamic cutting force prediction module and a structural dynamics module. The time domain model takes cutting process parameters, tool and workpiece geometries and modal parameters of the structure as inputs. It predicts instantanous cutting forces and vibrations along the machining time, and machined workpiece topography as outputs. Some of the simulated and experimental results for various cutting conditions are presented and compared for validation purposes.     

FREE-FORM SURFACE MACHINING AND COMPARING FEEDRATE SCHEDULING STRATEGIES

This article presents mathematical models of cutting forces and surface-form errors for machining of free-form surfaces. Besides the predictive models of cutting forces and surface deflections, a newly developed force based feedrate scheduling (FFS) technique is compared with material removal rate (MRR) based feedrate scheduling method that was used in feedrate optimization packages. With the experimental validations in free-form surfaces, it is shown that the mechanic models predict the forces and surface-form errors quite well. Moreover, by modifying the CNC programs with the new FFS technique, cycle times of the free-form parts can be decreased significantly.     

TOOL PATH SELECTION STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX SCULPTURED SURFACE MACHINING

High performance machining of complex free form surfaces is very critical in many different industries. In this research, an advanced mathematical model of cutting forces that is based on the kinematics and mechanics of the 3D sculptured surface machining is integrated with CAM packages in order to predict the complex tool-workpiece engagements and machining forces for any tool path. Machined 3D free form topographies and distributions of errors between the desired CAD and machined surfaces are also predicted in advance. Now, an evaluation of different tool path strategies for 3D complex sculptured surfaces can be made. Theoretical simulations of forces and surface topographies for different tool paths are presented and compared with experimental measurements.     

Virtual process systems for part machining operations

This paper presents an overview of recent developments in simulating machining and grinding processes along the NC tool path in virtual environments. The evaluations of cutter–part-geometry intersection algorithms are reviewed, and are used to predict cutting forces, torque, power, and the possibility of having chatter and other machining process states along the tool path. The trajectory generation of CNC systems is included in predicting the effective feeds. The NC program is automatically optimized by respecting the physical limits of the machine tool and cutting operation. Samples of industrial turning, milling and grinding applications are presented. The paper concludes with the present and future challenges to achieving a more accurate and efficient virtual machining process simulation and optimization system.