TOOL-PATH GENERATION FOR MACHINING SCULPTURED SURFACE

In NC machining of sculptured surfaces, the machining efficiency of cu rvature catering method is much higher than traditional ones using bal l-ended or drum-shaped tools. However, in order to get the best result of utilizing curvature catering method, great attentions have to be p aid to the arragement of tool traces, for the sensitivity of machining efficiency with respect to feeding direction is much higher than the traditional ones. A method of generation ''optimal'' tool-path for 5-a xis NC sculptuted surface milling with the curvature catering method i s presented in the paper. It consists of four sections; 1) an algorith m for determining ''optimal'' feeding direction; 2) variable cutter st ep size algorithm; 3) side step determination; 4) the criteria for fra ctionalizing a surface. A numerical example is also presented to demon strate the feasibility of the method.