Machining Path Generation System of a B-axis Fixed Plane for a Four-Axis Machine Tool

The four-axis turning-milling multitasking machine is a new machining platform; its main structure has three linear axes (X, Y, Z) and one rotational axis (C). This type of machine has various advantages including superior accuracy, superior efficiency, and a small footprint. However, due to the lack of a B-axis, this type of machine encounters difficulties when machining features on tilted planes. The present work developed value-added software for the Windows operating system to solve the aforementioned challenges. This research used homogeneous coordinates to transform existing three-axis machining paths into machining paths for fixed tilted planes. The C♯ programming language and Visual Studio were used to complete the development of a human-machine interface (HMI). Each machining path was controlled by a C♯ function. A homogeneous coordinate matrix was coded in C♯ programming language to reuse all coordinates, because when transforming from a horizontal plane to a tilted plane, the program requires a rotation matrix for the global Y-axis and a rotation matrix for the current X-axis. The software developed in this research was verified through NCPlot, Vericut, and AutoCAD. The results of the exported program and a numerical experiment differed by no more than 1 μm. The software developed in this research was used to CNC machine by a physical work-piece. The physical work-piece results confirmed the practicality of the software. © 2017, Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society. All right reserved.