 | 2005 |
Abstract:
The machining of highly stressed lightweight products such as connectors for aluminum profiles requires adequately adapted manufacturing processes. The adaptation of different workpiece profiles with different surface qualities to varying joining methods leads to complex workpiece structures. Today, an economic production often makes use of five-axis milling machines and modern cutting simulation technologies. Algorithms from computer graphics allow the description of highly accurate cutting chip geometries needing only NC-files, cutter data and the dimensions of the raw material. Efficient techniques allow not only to estimate the process forces related to tool deviations but also to generate optimized NC-paths that avoid contour faults and collisons between workpiece and tool. The use of FEA supports the consideration of additional stress and temperature conditions of the workpiece. These data are the basis for the selection of improved cutting strategies for varying machining concepts. This article focuses on the practical analysis of the process chain from the NC-path generation via the milling simulation to the machining of lightweight aluminum nodes.