Contact analysis of higher-order curved surface and relevant application in tool path planning of surface machining

Aiming at the tool path planning of five-axis machining in free-form curved surface, the method of computing cutter-axis vector for revolving cutters was proposed in the scenario of single-point contact between the curved surface of revolving cutters and free-form curved surface. With analysis on properties of surfaces in higher-order contact, the relationship between order of surface contact and surface geometric invariant was established. Through simulating the kinematic model for machining free-form curved surface with revolving cutters, the function relationship of cutter axis angle was deduced and the attitude equation in the dispersed cutter position was formulated, while the enveloping cutter surface and the free-form curved surface were in second-order contact. By instance of machining practice, this simulation model was with persuasion to illustrate the contact relationship of cutter's enveloping surface and free-form curved surface, and the variation smoothness of cutter's vector in the process of machining was guaranteed to achieve higher machining surface quality.