Efficient Machining of Aerospace Alloys By Means of High-Speed Milling with Geometrical Adapted Milling Tools

Recent market studies in the field of turbo machinery predict a constant annual increase of around 5% of air traffic until 2035. This directly correlates with the steady growing need of components for turbines and jet engines. These components are made of nickel and titanium based alloys, which have outstanding mechanical and high-temperature properties. These materials are known to be difficult to machine especially by multi-axis milling. The superimposed dynamical and thermal loadings on the milling tools and the complex geometry of the parts accompany with high costs for operational equipment and time consuming milling operations. An appropriate process and tool design is one key enabler for efficient manufacturing of complex work pieces. During the last years innovative geometrically adapted milling tools aim to combine geometrical flexibility of ball-end mills and high efficiency of bull-nose mills in one tool design. However milling of high performance materials with geometrically adapted milling tools necessitates novel machining strategies and adapted process designs. This publication presents actual results on process and strategy development in using a totally new milling tool design in superfinish milling of titanium alloys. The suggested tool design enables to increase the calculated tool path width locally while remaining the flexibility of conventional ball-end mills in a global context. Increasing productivity significantly and generating better surface finish compared to existing tool designs make the novel geometrically adapted milling tools to a game changing factor in modern process chains for manufacturing of single blades and BLISKS. The potentials of the highly efficient multi-axis milling process based on a novel milling tool and an adapted process design are shown when superfinish milling of a single blade made of TiAl6V4.