Preferred feed direction field: A new tool path generation method for efficient sculptured surface machining

摘要: Abstract This paper presents a new method to generate efficient ball-end milling tool paths for three-axis sculptured surface machining. The fundamental principle of the presented is according preferred feed direction (PFD) field derived from be machined. PFD at any point on that maximizes machining strip width. Theoretically, always follow maximum width every cutter contact would result in shorter overall path length. Unfortunately, overlaps adjacent strips commonly exist directions exactly. Such redundant can reduced by iso-scallop paths. Nonetheless, do not general directions. To improve efficiency via generating short length, analyzes and segments into distinct regions identifying degenerate points forming their separatrices. resulting segmented are characterized similar PFD’s then generated each region mitigate developed has been validated with numerous case studies. results have shown consistently length than those existing methods.