Abstract: Based on the cutting-edge motion trajectory in the cutting process, the kinematic analysis of the machining surface topography generation process is carried out. Firstly, a geometric model of the face milling cutter is established based on the cutting tool geometry, the cutting parameters such as feed rate, depth of cut, also with the cutting tool eccentricity runout have been combined. The model of the trajectory equation under the workpiece coordinate system is established which according to the motion of milling tool cutting edge. Secondly, the surface of the workpiece is discretized and Chebyshev polynomial is used to calculate the height of surface profile at each grid. The minimum value of these height is selected as the final height of the machined surface topography. Finally, combining with the cutting width, the prediction result of a single milling process is expanded to multiple transverse feed processing, a surface roughness prediction method for face mill geometries and milling parameters is proposed. The prediction result has been verified under different experiments when using different face milling parameters. The results show that under the consideration of cutting tool geometry and eccentricity runout simultaneously, the variation tendency and size of machined surface roughness could be forecasted accurately when using the surface roughness prediction method.

Key words: milling, surface roughness, surface topography, prediction method, cutting kinematics