Analysis on the Effects of Tool Rake Angle and Helix Angle of a Flat End-mill in the Milling of Ti-alloy

In this study, the effect of the helix angle and rake angle of a flat end-mill in the milling of titanium alloy was investigated. Tool shape parameters such as helix angle and rake angle affect the cutting force, cutting zone temperature, vibration, and chip flow mechanism, which in turn determine tool life, surface integrity, and dimensional accuracy of the milling process. To investigate the effect of the helix and rake angles, a certain range of parameters was selected, and three-dimensional tool models were generated for finite element analysis (FEA) for each case. The cutting force and pressure on the tool flank face and rake face were investigated by FEA. Further, several tool models were proposed for machining tests. The cutting force characteristics were investigated by the machining tests.