Generalized post-processor for 5-axis control machining based on form shape function

Abstract

5-axis control machining has the potentials of producing workpieces with complicated shape efficiently and accurately in comparison with conventional 3-axis control one. NC data for 5-axis control machine tools are in general offered by CAD/CAM systems, which create collision-free CL data from the workpiece and tool shapes. The post-processor plays an important role of providing actual NC data from CL data, taking account of a variety of 5-axis control machine tool structures. The study deals with the proposal of how to construct generalized post-processor, independent of the machine tool structures, by applying a concept of the form shape function, which represents the linkage and kinematics of control axes. As the result, the validity of the proposed generalized post-processor is experimentally confirmed.