Modeling of Tool-Workpiece Interaction in a Voxelized Framework

In the present study, a voxel based model for the interaction between cutting teeth of an arbitrary end mill geometry and a workpiece is presented. In this framework, the workpiece geometry is modeled using a voxelized representation that is dynamically updated as material is locally removed by each tooth of the cutting tool. A ray casting approach is used to mimic the process of the rake face of a tool moving through the workpiece material and to calculate the undeformed chip thickness and its variation in time. The resulting voxel based model framework was validated by comparison of predictions with experimentally measured milling forces. The results demonstrate the model’s ability to accurately simulate the interaction of cutting teeth with the bulk material of the workpiece. Implications of this new voxel based model framework are briefly discussed in terms of utility for predicting local surface finish and computational scalability of complex cutting configurations.