Tool path planning without interference for convex surfaces based on the optimal cutter orientation of the annular cutter

Most of the automobile panels are surface. Considering the limitation of machining the surface with the ball-end cutter, the non-spherical cutter is used more and more widely, but the interference usually occurs when machining the surface. Therefore, in this paper, the overcut interference produced by the annular cutter in machining convex surface of automobile panels was studied. The interference was analyzed, the method of eliminating interference was determined. The position of interference points was determined by the experiments of convex surface. The cutter orientation tool was optimal, and then re-planned the tool path with the method of interpolation to eliminate the interference. For convex surface, the traditional method and optimized one were compared, and the feasibility of the optimization method was verified.