Owing to the development of CNC machine tools and automatic programing software, the milling process with ball-end mill has become the most widely used process where three-dimensional precision machining is important.
In this study, the ball-end milling process has been analyzed and a cutting force model has been developed to predict the cutting force acting on the ball-end mill on given machining conditions. The development of the model is based on the analysis of geometry of a ball-end mill and the oblique cutting process.
The cutting edges of ball-end mills are considered as a series of infinitesimal elements and the geometry of the cutting edge element is analyzed to calculate the necessary constants used for the analysis of the oblique cutting process assuming each cutting edge element is straight.
The oblique cutting process in the small cutting edge element has been analyzed as orthogonal cutting process in the plane containing the cutting velocity vector and chip-flow vector. Hence, with the orthogonal cutting data obtained from orthogonal turning test, the cutting forces can be predicted through the model.
Finally, the model has been generalized by the considerations of tool deflection, cutter tolerances and integral chip formation.
The predicted cutting forces have shown a fairly good agreement with the test results in various plane cutting conditions.
