Effect of cutting strategy on machining of thin walled polymer

This paper presents the effect of tool path on machining of thin walled thermoplastic polymer, ABS. The effects of cutting speed, feed rate and tool path are studied to evaluate surface quality on thin walled parts. Four different cutting pattern (“zig”, “zig-zag”, “follow periphery” and “trochoidal”) with uncoated WC tool were investigated in the cutting tests. The quality of grooves was examined by their surface roughness, dimensional accuracy and burr structure. Experiments show that the down-milling and “follow periphery” creates dimensionally more accurate grooves. Average 4 μm surface roughness and discontinuous chip formation is obtained in up-milling process. According to the study, the better surface quality and dimensional accuracy can be achieved by down milling in “zig-zag” pattern in terms of surface roughness.