Free-form tools design and fabrication for flank super abrasive machining (FSAM) non developable surfaces

Manufacturing improvements are becoming a real need in industry. In order to satisfy these industrial requirements, they should be targeted in two different directions: new manufacturing processes and surface optimization through algorithms. On the one hand, Super Abrasive Machining (SAM) is presented as a new manufacturing process combining benefits from milling and grinding technologies. On the other hand, there is a tendency to manufacture non developable surfaces by flank milling and to achieve final dimensional and roughness requirements, by calculating mathematically-optimized tool trajectories. This work presents a design and manufacturing of a free form tool to be used for the manufacturing of a complex surface through Flank SAM (FSAM). Based on the tool requirements, it will cover the following stages: tool geometry design, tool core manufacturing, and electroplating for final abrasive tool generation.