Simulation of cutting deformation in milling process under coupled thermal-mechanical conditions

Machining accuracy of the part which has low-rigidity is greatly influenced by cutting deformation in milling process. Prediction of cutting deformation could effectively decrease surface errors of the part through optimizing tool path or cutting parameters. In this paper, deformation mechanism of the workpiece during milling process is studied by simulation method and cutting tests. The analytical model of cutting force is established, and the model of temperature field during milling process is built to predict cutting heat of the workpiece. Model parameters of cutting force and temperature are determined to satisfy the current cutting conditions based on several orthogonal experiments. Cutting deformation of the workpiece at different time could be calculated by finite element method under coupled thermal-mechanical conditions. According to the experimental results, the proposed simulation method could minimize the error between the calculation value and detection value in terms of workpiece deformation.