Assessment of tool path strategies for milling complex surfaces in hardened H13 steel

Abstract

In this work, parts with complex geometry were machined in hardened H13 steel using different tool path strategies for roughing and finishing, seeking to evaluate how the tool paths and cutting conditions influence machining time, surface roughness, and geometric precision. The results showed a reduction of up to 7.8% in roughing time and 25% reduction in finishing time among the evaluated tool paths. The roughness of the complex surface depends significantly on the tool path used and is significantly impaired by the increase in the feed per tooth. The geometric deviations varied from 0.02 to 0.23 mm depending on the adopted tool path.