Abstract: An efficient method for selection of tool sequence leads to the lower of cost of semi-finishing of mold cavity on a 3-axis mill machine is proposed. Suppose that the rough machining has completed, so the redundant slice is thin enough and can be removed with a single pass of the semi-finishing cutter. To guarantee the cutting operations do not gouge the desired surface, there is a largest cutter which can be used at any part of the surface. On the other hand, to improve efficiency, large cutter should be priority selected. Redundant state of the mold, state transition equations and dynamic programming model for tool sequence selection are formulated. Focusing on machining time, the key problem in dynamic programming, i.e. the cost function is analyzed. A method for evaluating the cost function based on the curvature analysis of tool and surface is proposed. Taking the surface of the Rosenbrock function as a test example, simulation analysis of the tool sequence selection method indicates its practicability and availability.

Key words: Cost function, Dynamic programming, Mold, Semi-finishing, Tool sequence selection