SWEPT VOLUMES OF TOROIDAL CUTTERS USING GENERATING CURVES

Modelling the volume swept by a tool as it moves from one programmed p osition to another in three, four and five-axis milling is a challengi ng task. In this paper, a technique for generating the volume swept by a toroidal cutter in its motion along a given tool path, is presented . This technique is based on identifying ''generating curves'' along t he path and connecting them into a solid model of the swept volume. Th e swept volume simulations are verified experimentally for three test pieces. These are also compared with the simulation results from the Z -map technique. The results of the experimental verification show the method to be accurate to within 10 mu m for the three test pieces. Fur thermore, the computation time for the new technique is significantly less than the Z-map method. It is concluded that the proposed method h as the potential of allowing fast simulation and verification of multi -axis tool paths. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.