Machining strategy in five-axis milling using balance of the transversal cutting force

Several solutions can be considered to resolve the problem of positioning a cutting tool on a free-form surface when five-axis milling. To choose a unique solution, in addition to the cutter–workpiece contact, an additional criterion can be taken into account. This may concern the local geometry of the surface or yet again the width milled to maximise the metal removal rate, but technological criteria relating to the cutting phenomenon and the quality of the surface produced are not considered. The present article introduces a strategy applying positioning combined with balancing of the transversal cutting force. This method involves using the ploughing effect of the milling cutters by simultaneously engaging the teeth located to the front of the cutter in relation to the feed movement and also those to the rear. The positioning obtained stabilises the cutter and contributes to making a net improvement in its dynamic behaviour. This leads in turn to significantly higher quality of the milled surface. The article presents a method to apply balancing of the transversal cutting force to two types of machining passes and elaborates an associated strategy to plan cutter paths enabling an improvement in surface quality to be achieved.