Design of a real-time NURBS interpolator with constant segment length for milling EDM

Abstract

The utilization of the non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) toolpaths becomes more important than ever before. However, in traditional milling electrical discharge machining (EDM) of parametric curves, there commonly exist problems such as speed loss and an overincreased sampling period, which directly cause a decrease in machining efficiency. Moreover, traditional approaches normally suffer from a complex toolpath planning. In this paper, a real-time interpolator with a constant segment length is proposed to improve the milling EDM of NURBS curves. The proposed interpolator can directly process NURBS curves with their definition information. The toolpath planning can thus become simpler. A new two-stage interpolation method is adopted such that both a high speed accuracy and a relatively short sampling period can be achieved, and the magnitude of chord errors can also be reduced. While the first-stage interpolation samples a NURBS curve with a constant-length segment, the second-stage interpolation, or the re-interpolation, executes multiple interpolations in a sampling period to generate the required feed rate. A loop buffer is designed for the implementation of the real-time interpolator. Experimental results show that the proposed interpolator demonstrates a superior machining performance to that by traditional interpolators, especially in terms of chord errors and erosion rate.