Development of practical postprocessor for 5-axis machine tool with non-orthogonal rotary axes

In order to develop a practical postprocessor for 5-axis machine tool, the general equations of numerically controlled (NC) data for 5-axis configurations with non-orthogonal rotary axes were exactly expressed by the inverse kinematics, and a windows-based postprocessor written with Visual Basic was developed according to the proposed algorithm. The developed postprocessor is a general system suitable for all kinds of 5-axis machines with orthogonal and non-orthogonal rotary axes. Through implementation of the developed postprocessor and verification by a cutting simulation and machining experiment, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is confirmed. Compatibility is improved by allowing exchange of data formats such as rotational total center position (RTCP) controlled NC data, vector post NC data, and program object file (POF) cutter location (CL) data, and convenience is increased by adding the function of work-piece origin offset. Consequently, a practical post-processor for 5-axis machining is developed.