Basic Approach to a Prediction System for Burr Formation in Face Milling

Geometric parameters and material properties are the two major categories of factors affecting burr formation in the milling process. Geometric parameters such as tool geometry, workpiece geometry, or process condition influence workpiece edge quality at the tool-chip interface. This study identifies a unified criterion to analyze burr formation for different tool engagements. The criterion exploits the exit order of cutting edges of the tool along the workpiece edge, which essentially includes the 3-D nature of the process. The criterion correlates the cutting mechanism and burr formation using the exit order sequence (EOS) as an approximation of chip flow angle. The impact of different possible exit order sequences on burr formation is analyzed. Previously observed phenomena are explained based on the EOS. Also, experiments are done with three different materials (with different ductilities) to analyze the impact of material properties on burr formation for a given EOS. Although burr sizes are different quantitatively with different material, the ranking of burr size for different EOS remained the same. An algorithm for the prediction of burr formation in face milling based on EOS is developed and tested and validated on two different profiles of an automotive part.