Tool Path Generation, for Complex Surface Machining, Using Point Cloud Data

Abstract

This paper gives a detailed explanation of the project, related to reverse engineering, which was conducted by the authors of this paper. The project was based on direct machining, which is done by generating efficient tool paths directly from point cloud data, stored in STL format. The primary objective was to achieve high efficiency in the machining of free-form surface geometries, having complex machining areas. Reverse engineering traditionally involves surface fitting. However, it has several drawbacks. To overcome these drawbacks, the concept of direct machining is used. This skips the surface fitting process and consists of three main steps: digitizing, tool path generation and machining. Therefore, an algorithm to generate tool paths for direct machining was developed. The algorithm works for three-axis milling, using a ball-end mill cutter. It includes dividing the surface into ranges and generating B-spline curves which are best fit curves within each range. These curves are the required tool paths. A few case studies have also been conducted using this algorithm.