Evaluation of cutter orientations in high-speed ball end milling of cantilever-shaped thin plate

This work was carried out in order to evaluate machinability in high-speed ball end milling of thin cantilever-shaped aluminum plate, and the effect of tool path, tool angle on geometric accuracy and surface integrity. The experiments were performed at tilt angles 0°, 15°, 45° of workpieces using four cutter orientations (horizontal outward, horizontal inward, vertical outward, vertical inward). Workpiece deflection, surface profile and machined surface have been measured. The results show that when machining cantilever-shaped thin plate, the best cutting strategy is vertical outward at a workpiece tilt angle of 45°.