Tool Path Generation for Five-Axis Controlled Machining with Consideration of Movable Range of Machine Tool and Tool Attitude Change

Abstract

A lot of techniques of tool path generation for 5-axis controlled machining that consider tool interference are already proposed. However, those methods have outputted impossible tool path for machine tool, because movable range of driving axes of machine tool is not considered. Moreover, discontinuous tool path threatens to cause deterioration of surface quality. This study has been aiming to generate the tool path considering movable range of machine tool and continuity of tool attitude change. We have already proposed the original 2-dimensional configuration space that indicates possible tool attitude at each cutting point. The method proposed in this report searches the shortest tool path using 3-dimensional configuration space that corresponds to available tool attitudes with consideration of tool interference and movable range of machine tool. As a result, usefulness of the devised method was experimentally confirmed.