Failure analysis on clamping bolt of milling cutter for high-speed machining

During High-Speed Machining (HSM), the failure of the clamping bolt damages machining quality of the machined workpiece, the milling cutter and the precise spindle and sometimes it may lead to serious injury of person at or near the machine. In this paper, a finite element model with three-dimensional contact elements is established to accurately analyse the relationship between the failure and the stress inside the clamping bolt; then the failure-critical rotational speed and the maximum permissible rotational speed of the bolt are predicted. It is pointed out that among many external loads acting on the milling cutter, the effect of the radial centrifugal force on the stress and the deformation of the clamping bolt is the largest one. These simulated results can also provide theoretical basis for the design, manufacturing and application of the high-speed milling cutter.