Cutting Force Prediction in Four-axis Milling of Curved Surfaces with Bull-nose End Mill

This paper presents a mechanistic model for prediction cutting forces in bull-nose end milling of curved surfaces. Firstly, a mechanistic cutting force model for bull-nose end mill is established. Secondly, the machining process characteristics for four-axis milling of ring-shaped casings are discussed. A slice-based method is proposed for prediction the cutter-workpiece engagements. Then, the cutting forces with three different lead angles are predicted and compared with the corresponding experimental values. The results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the presented prediction approach.