Observations on the mean values of forces, torque and specific power in the peripheral milling process

Abstract The forces arising from the milling process are important practical parameters. In this paper, the author uses a force model which considers both rake and flank face contributions to derive expressions for average values of force, torque and specific power. It is shown that specific power is a unique function of mean chip thickness. The major practical importance of the work is the application of the concepts derived to adaptive control. It is demonstrated that both radial width and axial depth of cut may be estimated from a knowledge of the quasi mean resultant force and the mean value of torque. The possibility of identifying the dimensions of cut, in real time, provides a significant step towards the development of adaptive optimisation strategies for the milling process.