Effective prediction of cutting forces and static form errors in flexible end milling

The main objective of this study is to develop a general approach for calculations of cutting forces and static form errors in flexible end milling. The key techniques used are as follows: the finite element discretization of the cutter/workpiece, calculations of the instantaneous uncut chip thickness, iterative corrections of radial depth of cut as well as the workpiece's rigidity without finite element remeshing. Based on the typical cutting force model, numerical results obtained are compared with existing experimental and simulation results. It is shown that the developed approach has good prediction accuracy.