A simple, yet useful algorithm is developed to generate tool paths with global interference checking for five-axis point milling of turbomachinery components. Based on the projected distance between the surface data and the cutter-axis of a cylindrical ball-end mill, interference between the surface of a workpiece and the cutter can be detected. Given the cutter contact points of the surface and the cutter’s size, it can produce the cutter location data without incurring interference through relatively rotating and tilting the workpiece. Applications of the developed procedure to five-axis machining of centrifugal compressor impellers with 13 and 15 blades are illustrated to demonstrate the usefulness and reliability of the approach.

1.
Kim
,
B. H.
, and
Chu
,
C. N.
,
1994
, “
Effect of Cutter Mark on Surface Roughness and Scallop Height in Sculptured Surface Machining
,”
Comput.-Aided Des.
,
26
, pp.
179
188
.
2.
Suresh
,
K.
, and
Yang
,
D. C. H.
,
1994
, “
Constant Scallop-height Machining of Free-form Surfaces
,”
Trans. ASME J. Eng. Ind.
,
116
, pp.
253
259
.
3.
Oliver
,
J. H.
,
Wysocki
,
D. A.
, and
Goodman
,
E. D.
,
1993
, “
Gouge Detection Algorithms for Sculptured Surface NC Generation
,”
Trans. ASME J. Eng. Ind.
,
115
, pp.
139
144
.
4.
Loney
,
G. C.
, and
Ozsoy
,
T. M.
,
1987
, “
NC Machining of Free Form Surfaces
,”
Comput.-Aided Des.
,
19
, pp.
85
90
.
5.
Vickers
,
G. W.
, and
Quan
,
K. W.
,
1989
, “
Ball-Mills Versus End-Mills for Curved Surface Machining
,”
Trans. ASME J. Eng. Ind.
,
111
, pp.
22
26
.
6.
Choi
,
B. K.
, and
Jun
,
C. S.
,
1989
, “
Ball-end Cutter Interference Avoidance in NC Machining of Sculptured Surfaces
,”
Comput.-Aided Des.
,
21
, pp.
371
378
.
7.
Hwang
,
J. S.
,
1992
, “
Interference-free Tool-path Generation in the NC Machining of Parametric Compound Surfaces
,”
Comput.-Aided Des.
,
24
, pp.
667
676
.
8.
Choi
,
B. K.
,
Park
,
J. W.
, and
Jun
,
C. S.
,
1993
, “
Cutter-location Data Optimization in 5-axis Surface Machining
,”
Comput.-Aided Des.
,
25
, pp.
377
386
.
9.
Wu
,
C. Y.
,
1995
, “
Arbitrary Surface Flank Milling of Fan, Compressor, and Impeller Blades
,”
Trans. ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power
,
117
, pp.
534
539
.
10.
Elber
,
G.
, and
Fish
,
R.
,
1997
, “
5-Axis Freeform Surface Milling Using Piecewise Ruled Surface Approximation
,”
Trans. ASME J. Manuf. Sci. Eng.
,
119
, pp.
383
387
.
11.
Wang
,
W. P.
,
1990
, “
Three-Dimensional Collision Avoidance in Production Automation
,”
Comput. Ind.
,
15
, pp.
169
174
.
12.
Tseng
,
Y.
, and
Joshi
,
S.
,
1991
, “
Determining Feasible Tool-approach Directions for Machining Bezier Curves and Surfaces
,”
Comput.-Aided Des.
,
23
, pp.
36
379
.
13.
Takeuchi
,
Y.
, and
Idemura
,
T.
,
1991
, “
5-Axis Control Machining and Grinding Based on Solid Model
,”
Ann. CIRP
,
40/1
, pp.
455
458
.
14.
Takeuchi
,
Y.
, and
Watanabe
,
T.
,
1992
, “
Generation of 5-Axis Control Collision-Free Tool Path and Postprecessing for NC Data
,”
Ann. CIRP
,
41/1
, pp.
539
542
.
15.
Lee, Y. S., 1993, Automatic Planning and Programming for Five-axis Sculptured Surface Machining, Ph.D. thesis, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
16.
Li
,
S. X.
, and
Jerard
,
R. B.
,
1994
, “
5-axis Machining of Sculptured Surfaces with a Flat-end Cutter
,”
Comput.-Aided Des.
,
26
, pp.
165
178
.
17.
Jerard, B., Drysdale, R. L., and Magewick, J., 1989, “Methods for Detecting Errors in Numerically Controlled Machining of Sculptured Surfaces,” IEEE Comput. Graphics Appl., Jan., pp. 26–39.
18.
Faux, I. D., and Pratt, M. J., 1979, Computational Geometry for Design and Manufacture, Ellis Horwood, Chichester, UK.
19.
Schulz
,
H.
,
1995
, “
High-Speed Milling of Dies and Moulds-Cutting Conditions and Technology
,”
Ann. CIRP
,
44
, pp.
35
38
.
20.
Rogers, D. F., and Adams, J. A., 1990, Mathematical Elements for Computer Graphics, 2nd Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
21.
Smith
,
D. J. L.
, and
Merryweather
,
H.
,
1973
, “
The Use of Analytic Surfaces for the Design of Centrifugal Impellers by Computer Graphics
,”
Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng.
,
7
, pp.
137
154
.
22.
Choi, B. K., 1991, Surface Modeling for CAD/CAM, Elsevier, Amsterdam.
You do not currently have access to this content.