9500020 Menq The goal of this research is to develop an integrated framework for precision machining of complex surface geometries, in which product quality and productivity are planned and controlled in the process development phase rather than in the manufacturing phase of the production cycle. The present study focuses on end milling, one of the most widely used machining processes in the manufacture of parts with three-dimensional sculpted surfaces. Reliable mathematical process models will be developed to determine the optimum machining conditions in end milling. The first task will be to develop predictive models for cutting forces and the resulting surface errors in various end milling processes. The second task is to develop advanced machining strategies and compensation schemes that utilize the developed predictive capability to plan optimal cutting paths and feedrates for the reduction of production time and costs, and to improve product quality by correcting the anticipated errors before actually machining a surface. There are about fifty thousand small machine shops in the United States that could gain some benefit from this research. The research is intended to enhance the understanding of the cutting performance and dimensional error formation in the end milling process, and to develop an integrated framework for precision machining of complex surface geometries. The models developed here can be implemented in an open computer-aided design and manufacturing system to establish an intelligent machining planning system for three-dimensional sculptured surface machining.
