Cutting Force Modeling Possibilities in OpenGL Based Milling Simulators

Abstract

In the past years, our research activities were focused on several fields in machining simulation and verification. A new milling simulation method and a software application was developed based on pure OpenGL calculating and rendering techniques [1]. As a next step, we tried to investigate the possibilities and practical applications of cutting force modeling in the simulator. This paper examines the developing possibilities of this new feature and describes methods found in the literature [4-11] to determine the cutting force and helps to calculate average or instantaneous cutting force in each tool motion during milling process using the simplest 'volumetric' and an advanced mechanistic model. Using these methods, feedrate can be adjusted more precisely. Since the tool is modeled with a set of polygons in the simulator, therefore it is easy to approximate the instantaneous contact area between tool and workpiece in each tool motion