Geometric modeling and tool path generation of model propellers with a single setup change

Cheol-Soo Lee and Jae-Hyun Lee

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Abstract

A model propeller plays important roles in the design of the marine vehicles. The cavitations, the erosion, the pressure fluctuation, and the flow are measured by the model propeller. These measurements help to create the actual marine propeller. In this paper, geometry modeling and tool path generation for a model propeller are proposed, and the hub surface and lateral surface of the wing surfaces are generated by the proposed method. Considering the characteristics of the model propeller, efficient Cutter Location (CL) data are proposed: (1) the finish machining is completed with one setup posture. (2) A four-axis machining algorithm is proposed that makes it possible to the propeller with one setup and that minimizes machining error. (3) To minimize the maximum machining load, zigzag machining and an outside-to-inside tool path are introduced. A tilting guide curve is proposed to determine the tool axis vector. A smoothly changing tool axis vector is obtained through this curve, and the calculation is simple and fast. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is useful for the manufacturing of model propellers.

Keywords  Marine propeller - Geometric modeling - Five-axis machining - Four-axis machining - Tool axis vector

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