Generation of Five-Axis Cutter Paths for a Ball-End Cutter With Global Interference Checking Free

A simple, yet useful procedure is developed to generate tool paths with global interference checking for five-axis machining of turbomachinery components with complex geometries. Based on the projected distance between the surface data and the cutter-axis of a cylindrical ball-end mill, interference between the surface of a workpiece and the cutter can be detected. Given the cutter contact points of the surface and the cutter’s size, it can produce the cutter location data without incurring interference through relatively rotating and tilting the workpiece. Applications of the developed approach to five-axis machining of centrifugal compressor impellers with thirteen and fifteen blades are illustrated to demonstrate the usefulness and reliability of the procedure.