FORCE PREDICTION MODELS AND CAD CAM SOFTWARE FOR HELICAL TOOTH MILLING PROCESSES .3. END-MILLING AND SLOTTING OPERATIONS/

In the last part of this series of investigations on helical milling o perations, the appropriate models for quantitative predictions of forc es, torque and power in end-milling and slotting operations have been identified by extensive numerical simulation and experimental testing. For end-milling operations, the 'eccentricity' model for rigid cutter s has been found to be adequate for light cutting conditions, whereas for 'heavy' cutting conditions the more comprehensive 'deflection' mod el, incorporating cutter deflections and eccentricity, is necessary. B y contrast, the 'deflection' model is the most appropriate model for a ll the cutting conditions in slotting operations. A method of detectin g when the cutter deflection effect becomes significant is also propos ed. The simplest and popular 'ideal case' model for rigid cutters with no eccentricity has been shown to be useful for qualitative predictio ns of all the force characteristics and for establishing conditions fo r zero or minimum force and torque fluctuations. The findings of the p resent investigation lend further support to the applicability of the unified mechanics of cutting approach for developing reliable predicti ve models for force, torque and power in practical machining operation s.