Curve-guided 5-axis CNC flank milling of free-form surfaces using custom-shaped tools

A new method for 5-axis flank milling of free-form surfaces is proposed. Existing path-planning methods typically use on-market tools whose shape cylindrical or conical, and therefore not well-suited meeting fine tolerances manufacturing benchmark like turbine blades, gears, blisks. In contrast, our optimization-based framework incorporates the tool into optimization cycle looks only paths, but also itself. Given a reference surface guiding path that roughly indicates motion tool, tangential movability quadruplets spheres centered along straight line analyzed to indicate possible shapes their motions. This results in G1 Hermite data space rigid body motions are interpolated further optimized, both terms We demonstrate algorithm on synthetic industrial datasets, showing custom-shaped capable outperforms classical, tools.