Development of Cutting Force Prediction Method Using Motion Information from CNC Controller

Abstract

Five-axis machines and multi-tasking machines are widely used because they facilitate integration of work processes and simplification of jigs and set-ups. Along with effective machine use, development of optimum machining such as research on tools and cutting methods to achieve high-speed cutting and increase of material removal rate is being investigated. While these efforts have greatly contributed to furthering of automation and cost reduction at the manufacturing site, complex machine motions and increased demanding work processes can lead to unexpected collisions and tool breakages. To prevent tool breakage caused by unexpected overloading or to improve the inefficient feed rate on the basis of safety considerations, simulations based on numerical control (NC) data are usually performed in advance to evaluate the cutting force. In high-speed, high-efficiency machining, however, the machine does not always execute movements as instructed by the NC data and the predicted cutting force does not always agree with the actual cutting forces. In this study, therefore, we developed an off-line system in which the motion information of each axis of an actual machine is acquired from a computer numerical control (CNC) controller, and is then used to predict the cutting force. The effects of using the proposed method are described in this article.