Numerical simulation of milling process: A total procedure

Milling is one of the most common materials removal processes used in the production ofdies, moulds and various aeronautic components. The process performances such as dimensionalaccuracy, chatter propagation and tool wear are the common problems which can lead to uselessworkpiece. The traditional method to avoid these problems is the so-called trial and error method,which often has the characteristics of time-consuming. With the advancement of recent computingtechniques, one efficient method to determine "acceptable" process parameters is development of acomprehensive simulation environment. In this paper, efforts are focused on the introduction of amilling simulation procedure proposed recently by the research group of the authors. The key issuessuch as development of cutting force model, prediction of dimensional errors and stability lobes aredescribed. At the same time, the crucial issues such as calibration of model parameters and simulationalgorithms are also highlighted.