Multiscale Thermomechanical Tool-Load Prediction for Milling Processes Integrated into CAM Environments

Procedia CIRP, vol. 141, pp. 514–519

Abstract

Temperature is a key factor in machining, as it governs tool wear, lifetime, and mechanical performance while directly affecting dimensional accuracy, surface integrity, and the microstructural evolution of the workpiece. Despite extensive progress in analytical and numerical modeling of tool temperature, most approaches remain confined to academic research and have not yet been transferred into industrial applications. To address this gap, the present study integrates simulation-based temperature prediction models into industrial CAM environments and develops a prototype calculation for a representative milling process. The proposed framework couples mechanical and thermal submodels to predict localized thermomechanical loads along the cutting edge with high spatial and temporal resolution. The approach discretizes the engagement-derived undeformed chip cross-section to compute transient heat generation and its distribution. A key challenge addressed in this work is the geometric discretization required for the coupled simulations, which strongly affects both accuracy and computational efficiency. The results show that embedding predictive models of tool loads into CAM software enables advanced process-control strategies that explicitly consider thermal constraints, thereby facilitating thermally optimized and more reliable milling operations.

Authors 6

1. Hui Liu corresponding Aachen Manufacturing Technology Institute MTI

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Manufacturing Technology Institute MTI, RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, Aachen, 52074, Germany

2. Tim Göttlich Aachen Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, Augustinerbach 6, Aachen, 52056, Germany

3. Simon Fabian Alfred Winter Aachen Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, Augustinerbach 6, Aachen, 52056, Germany

4. Markus Meurer Aachen Manufacturing Technology Institute MTI

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Manufacturing Technology Institute MTI, RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, Aachen, 52074, Germany

5. Wilko Rohlfs Aachen Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, Augustinerbach 6, Aachen, 52056, Germany

6. Thomas Bergs Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT Manufacturing Technology Institute MTI

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstr. 17, Aachen, 52074, Germany

   Manufacturing Technology Institute MTI, RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, Aachen, 52074, Germany