NURBS tool-path generation and accurate machined-part modeling in virtual 5-Axis milling for high-performance cutting of sculptured parts

随着CAD技术的进步，具有雕塑零件的机械产品已广泛应用于航空，汽车和模具行业。 包括五轴数控机床在内的可重构制造系统能够以更高的质量、更低的成本和更短的交货期制造多样化的产品，因此，在经济全球化的过程中，它们对这些行业的公司至关重要。 作为系统的核心技术，高性能的五轴联动加工是一个巨大的挑战，即使它是迫切需要的工业。 一个有效的解决方案是虚拟五轴加工系统，它可以模拟真实的切削过程，通过考虑机床动力学和CNC程序，生成高逼真度的加工零件模型，并检查数字化零件的表面精度小于0.01 mm。为了克服现有虚拟系统的缺点，这项新的研究旨在开发和推进一些关键技术：（i）用于5轴雕刻零件加工的刀具尺寸优化，（ii）用于光滑、精确表面和良好机床动力学的NURBS刀具路径规划，以及（iii）具有高精度的虚拟加工零件建模。

With advances in the CAD technology, mechanical products with sculptured parts have been widely adopted in the aeronautical, automotive, and die and mold industries. Reconfigurable manufacturing systems, including 5-axis CNC machine tools, are capable of making diverse products with better quality, less costs, and shorter lead time; thus, they are essential to the companies in these industries during economic globalization. Being a kernel technology in the systems, high-performance 5-axis machining of the sculptured parts is a great challenge, even though it is badly needed in industry. An effective solution to the challenge is virtual 5-axis machining systems that can simulate real cutting processes by taking machine tool dynamics and CNC programs into account, generate machined part models with high fidelity, and inspect the digital parts for surface accuracy less than 0.01 mm. To overcome the drawbacks of the existing virtual systems, this newly proposed research aims to develop and advance some key techniques: (i) cutter size optimization for 5-axis sculptured part machining, (ii) NURBS tool path planning for smooth, accurate surfaces and good machine tool kinetics, and (iii) virtually-machined part modeling with high fedelity.