A CL surface deformation approach for constant scallop height tool path generation from triangular mesh

Abstract

In this paper, we present a cutter location (CL) surface deformation approach for constant scallop height tool path generation from triangular mesh. The triangular mesh model of the stereo lithography (STL) format is offset to the CL surface and then deformed in accordance with the deformation vectors, which are computed by the slope and the curvature of the CL surface. In addition, the tool path, which is computed by slicing the deformed CL surface, is inversely deformed by those same deformation vectors to a tool path with a constant scallop height. The proposed method is implemented, and a tool path is generated and tested by simulation and by numerical control (NC) machining. The scallop height was found to be constant over the entire machined surface, demonstrating much better quality than that of mesh slicing, under the same constraints for machining time.