Five-axis rough machining for impellers

The most important components used in aerospace, ships, and automobiles are designed with free form surfaces. An impeller is one of the most important components that is difficult to machine because of its twisted blades. Rough machining is recognized as the most crucial procedure influencing machining efficiency and is critical for the finishing process. An integrated rough machining course with detailed algorithms is presented in this paper. An algorithm for determining the minimum distance between two surfaces is applied to estimate the tool size. The space between two blades that will be cleared from the roughcast is divided to generate CC points. The tool axis vector is confirmed based on flank milling using a simple method that could eliminate global interference between the tool and the blades. The result proves that the machining methodology presented in this paper is useful and successful. © 2009 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH.