Real-Time Five-Axis Control Based on Digital Copy Milling Concept to Achieve Autonomous Milling

The Digital Copy Milling (DCM) was proposed to achieve autonomous milling, in which tool paths are generated in real time during milling without requiring Numerical Control (NC) programs. In the DCM, a tracing probe and a master model in conventional copy milling are represented by virtual 3D models, and cutter locations are calculated dynamically based on virtual tracing probe movement in real time. Therefore, not only feed speed, but also radial and axial depths of cut are adapted for milling process control. In addition, new tool paths are added to automatically avoid and recover from cutting troubles. In this paper, an added five-axis tool movement control of DCM demonstrated the effectiveness of the DCM concept.