A tool path patching strategy around singular point in 5-axis ball-end milling

Overview & Synopsis

In 5-axis high speed milling, large incoherent movements of rotary axes around the singular point are known to be a problem. Correction methods found in the literature deal mostly with the collision that may happen between the tool and the part but not with the feedrate slowdowns which affect surface quality and machining productivity. The method proposed in this paper addresses both geometrical and productivity issues by modifying the tool axes orientation while respecting maximum velocity, acceleration and jerk of the machine-tool axes. The aim is to detect these behaviors and replace the considered portion of the tool path by a patch curve respecting kinematical contraints of the machine tool. Compare to previous works, the inserted patch curve is not constrained to pass through the singularity but respect tangential contrains to ensure the monotony of the tool path and is also connected with the rest of the tool path to ensure a continuity up to the third derivative in order to fulfill jerk limitations. For that purpose, the initial articular positions of the rotary axes around the singular point are fitted with B-spline curves, modified and finally discretized for linear interpolation. Experimental investigations on a test part are carried out to show the efficiency of the method in terms of feedrate and surface quality.