Influence of helix angle and density variation on the cutting force in wood-based products machining

After noticing influences of the helix angle on cutting forces and consequently on tool life for wood machining in previous studies [1], it was decided to deepen the analysis because tool makers need to understand such effects. In this paper, the oblique cutting edge is divided into small differential segments. For each oblique element, cutting forces are formulated to introduce the density variation of wood based materials: cutting constants, obtained by measuring cutting forces for various orthogonal millings on MDF and particleboard, are written in function of height coordinate of the board thickness. To validate the three orthogonal cutting forces calculated from measured constants, a comparison with new experimental values is necessary. The predictions obtained indicate the effects of helix angle on the tool life.