Modelling of cutting forces and researching calibration method in helical milling

Helical milling is a high efficiency, high quality hole-making technology, which enjoys very good usage prospects for the aeronautical and aerospace industry. In the helical milling process, the chip thickness is highly variable along the cutting edges and during the tool revolution due to the special cutting trajectory. The aim of this study is to develop a cutting force model and build a new calibration method of cutting force coefficients for helical milling. First, the tool motion of helical milling and the geometry of the chip are analyzed, and then the cutting force model is established. After that the calibration method of cutting force coefficients is built. In the end, a series of cutting experiments were conducted to validate the cutting force model and the calibration method. With this model, it is possible to analyze cutting forces and optimize the cutting parameters, and then get a better quality of hole-making.