Abstract
This paper presents a new process planning method for five-axis machining, which is particularly suitable for parts with complex features or weak structures. First, we represent the in-process workpiece as a voxel model. Facilitated by the voxel representation, a scalar field called subtraction field is then established between the blank surface and the part surface, whose value at any voxel identifies its removal sequence. This subtraction field helps identify a sequence of intermediate machining layers, which are always accessible to the tool and are free of self-intersection and the layer redundancy problem as suffered, respectively, by the traditional offset layering method and the morphing method. Iso-planar collision-free five-axis tool paths are then determined on the interface surfaces of these machining layers. In addition, to mitigate the deformation of the in-process workpiece and avoid potential dynamic problems such as chattering, we also propose a new machining strategy of alternating between the roughing and finishing operations, which is able to achieve a much higher stiffness of the in-process workpiece. Ample experiments in both computer simulation and physical cutting are performed, and the experimental results convincingly confirm the advantages of our method.
Decomposition of the Vector Field of Preferred Directions for Optimization of Five-Axis Machining