A Study on the Machining Characteristics and Energy Efficiency of Ti-6Al-4V in Laser-Assisted Trochoidal Milling

Titanium alloys are widely used in high value-added applications such as aerospace and automobile products. However, their superior mechanical properties also make them difficult-to-cut materials. Various machining methods have been developed for machining difficult-to-cut materials. One of these methods, the trochoidal milling method, combines a linear tool movement with a circular movement. It has several advantages, including low cutting force and better tool life, and it can also be applied to high speed machining. Laser-assisted machining (LAM) is another hybrid machining method for difficult-to-cut materials. When the material is locally preheated by a laser heat source prior to machining by the cutting tool, cutting resistance is reduced, and processing efficiency is increased. The purpose of this study is to develop a laser-assisted trochoidal milling process by combining the two machining methods. The processing efficiency of the trochoidal milling method was verified through experiments and comparison with conventional milling. Also, the cutting force and energy efficiency by considering specific cutting energy during the laser-assisted trochoidal milling of Ti-6Al-4V were analyzed for various machining conditions and compared with trochoidal milling.