Surface morphology, burr formation, and spindle axial drift in high-speed robotic milling of complex features

Abstract

Industrial robots are garnering increased attention in the manufacturing sector, their application in high-precision tasks such as milling is however hindered by inherent limitations, notably low stiffness and instability. This study aims to investigate the influence of cutting parameters within segmented curve trajectories on surface quality during high-speed robotic milling process. The investigation covers surface morphology, the mechanism of burr formation, and the underlying causes of tool axial runout. The findings reveal that as spindle speed increases and feed speed decreases, the surface topography of the machined workpiece gradually improves and the quantity and dimensions of burrs on both sides of the slot have been decreased. Axial runout occurs during robotic milling due to insufficient robot stiffness, leading to vibrations that cannot effectively resist the reaction forces of cutting forces.