Trochoidal Milling

Trochoidal milling is a machining technology that enables the industry to achieve certain goals in regard to tooling cost and process time and to reduce machine tool stress in many areas of application. What must be emphasized... [ view full abstract ]

Trochoidal milling is a machining technology that enables the industry to achieve certain goals in regard to tooling cost and process time and to reduce machine tool stress in many areas of application. What must be emphasized here is the manufacture of engine components for the aviation and astronautic industry and exhaust turbines for the motor vehicle industry. On the other hand, this milling technology is implemented for the manufacture of structural and other small-scale production components in the tool and mold construction industry (hard machining) along with general engineering. The machining of high alloyed and hardened materials such as case-hardening steels or heat-resistant nickel base alloys can be made significantly more productive, cost-effective and resource-efficient by the use of trochoidal milling.

The use of trochoidal milling technology makes sense in the manufacture of pockets and slots with a high aspect ratio and different widths, where different pocket sizes can be produced with a single tool. The available cutting length of the milling cutter is also used, due to increased cutting depths. Furthermore, due to the considerably optimized contact ratios in full cut compared to conventional milling (tool wrap angle 180°) the resulting machining forces are reduced. Due to the reduction of the acting radial force, thin-walled components can be manufactured with the greatest precision whilst simultaneously preserving the machine tool. Regarding the material to machine, trochoidal milling offers considerable advantages due to a reduction of chip length (regardless of the radial feed), an increased chip removal area and reduced machining stress (slot width small tool diameter, no chip congestion and multiple cutting of the chips) and resulting reduced thermo mechanical tool stress. Higher cutting data with simultaneously increased tool lives compared to the conventional full cut are also achievable.

For effective use of the trochoidal milling technology, it is necessary to agree on the programming cycles of CNC controls in addition to using appropriate tool concepts.