Kinematical performance prediction method for rotary axes of 5-axis machine tool in processing of complex curved surface

The 5-axis machine tool has obvious advantages in processing parts with complex curved surface. Due to the shape complexity of the curved surface and the inflexibility programming of tool orientation, the velocity, acceleration and jerk of rotary axes of 5-axis machine tool always fluctuate significantly during 5-axis high speed machining (HSM), which is one of the important reasons for affecting the quality and the efficiency in 5-axis machining. In this study, a kinematical performance prediction method for rotary axes of 5-axis machine tool is presented, and the velocity, acceleration and jerk of rotary axes during the actual machining can be pre-calculated by it. The prediction method can be easily integrated into the CAM system and can constitute as an indicator for 5-axis trajectory optimisation and feed scheduling. To verify the proposed method, two tests are conducted on a 5-axis milling machine tool controlled by SINUMERIK 840D system, and the prediction results are perfectly matched with the mea...