A novel tool path planning method for machining triangular mesh surfaces based on geodesics in heat theory

Abstract

Tool path planning is a critical technology in aerospace and gear manufacturing, where triangular meshes commonly model these complex surfaces. However, current tangential geometry-based tool path planning methods suffer from problems such as excessive assumptions, high computational complexity, and low machining accuracy. In this manuscript, a novel tool path planning method for machining triangular mesh surfaces, offsetting-based the heat-geodesic field (HGF) to obtain tool path, is proposed. Firstly, an initial heat source curve (IHSC, i.e., master path) extraction method is proposed to consider cutter motion and part geometry characteristics. Based on this, a robust modeling method for HGF with a linear process is established. Finally, an efficient determination method for adjacent paths based on HGF is established, which utilizes geodesic distances as metrics, as opposed to the traditional Euclidean distances. Simulations and experiments under various conditions are carried out to validate the proposed method. Compared to zigzag paths, the proposed method improves machining efficiency by 24.28 % while maintaining the same scallop height constraint. Furthermore, it has significant advantages in machining accuracy, such as avoiding corner errors caused by particular surface boundaries. Consequently, the proposed tool path planning method, with highly efficient and robust, is expected to improve the machining accuracy and efficiency for complex surfaces.