Process Monitoring Challenges in Five-axis Milling of Thin-walled Parts: An Experimental Perspective

The five-axis milling process for thin-walled parts exhibits complex behavior, in which tool orientation, cutter-workpiece engagement, cutting forces, vibration, and tool wear are critical factors determining surface roughness and dimensional accuracy. This study presents an experimental investigation on the cutting behavior of thin-walled parts under varying tool tilt angles and part thicknesses. Experimental results confirmed that chatter occurs when the tilt angle is large; increasing the part thickness will mitigate the chatter. It’s revealed that the chatter and part deflection masked the accumulated evolution of the tool wear process in both force and vibration signals. Furthermore, cutting force signals demonstrate weaker position-dependent characteristics compared to acceleration signals. The difference between the force and vibration data’s peak-to-peak indicator is significant. The study further identifies key challenges for real-time process monitoring. Therefore, by capturing dynamic interactions such as chatter and part deflection through multi-sensor signals, this investigation provides essential insights for the development of robust process monitoring methods and systems for the five-axis milling of thin-walled components.