In-process estimation of radial immersion ratio in face milling using cutting force

In order to prevent tool breakage in milling, maximum total cutting force is regulated at a specific constant level, or threshold, through feed rate control. Since the threshold is a function of the immersion ratio, an estimation of the immersion ratio is necessary to flexibly determine the threshold. In this paper, a method of in-process estimation of the radial immersion ratio in face milling is presented. When an insert finishes sweeping, a sudden drop in cutting forces occurs. These force drops are equal to the cutting forces that act upon a single insert at the swept cutting angle and they can be acquired from cutting force signals in the feed and cross-feed directions. Average cutting forces per tooth period can also be calculated from the cutting force signals in two directions. The ratio of cutting forces acting upon a single insert at the swept angle of cut and the ratio of average cutting forces per tooth period are functions of the swept angle of cut and the ratio of radial to tangential cutting force. Using these parameters, the radial immersion ratio is estimated. Various experiments are performed to verify the proposed method. The results show that the radial immersion ratio can be estimated by this method regardless of other cutting conditions.