On milling of thin-walled tubular geometries

TLDR: In this article, the effect of tool and workpiece flexibilities on surface error during peripheral milling of thin-walled tubular geometries was investigated, and the authors focused mainly on machining of tubular geometry.

Abstract: Machining of thin-walled tubular geometries poses interesting problems from a process planning perspective. In machining of such geometries by milling, cutting force-induced tool and workpiece deflections have to be overcome in order to realize part accuracies without compromising productivity. This calls for a systematic study of surface errors on machined parts due to both tool and workpiece deflections. The present paper investigates the effect of cutter and workpiece flexibilities on surface error during peripheral milling of thin-walled tubular geometries. Unlike previous attempts to study milling of thin-walled straight geometries, the present work focuses mainly on machining of tubular geometries. Tubular geometries need to be treated differently from a process planning perspective by exploiting the workpiece rigidity they offer. The process planner has an option of synclastic and anticlastic machining possibilities during machining of tubular geometries which needs to be explored and under...