Development of a Spiral Trajectory for High Speed Roughing of Light Alloy Aerospace Components

A new spiral cutting method and its implementation within a CAD/CAM application software is proposed to save more than 16% in the roughing process of pockets for light alloy aerospace parts. The application prototype developed automatically generates the tool paths related to specific pocket profile geometry. It is shown, through experimentation using the prototype, that the parameters which define the spiral tool path geometry have a direct and important impact on cutting times. During the roughing operation, the proposed tool path takes into consideration the slant of the walls but also allows maximizing the quantity of material to be removed. The approach developed indicates great potential for roughing optimization of parts having multiple pockets. Key-words: CAD, CAM, roughing, spiral trajectories, tool path, machining.