Abstract
In the rough cutting process of sculptured surface machining, using rough cutting models, which are composed or large flat facets and have simple shape profiles, could effectively reduce the machining time and improve the machining efficiency. In this paper, a 3D rough cutting model generation algorithm for sculptured surface machining is presented. The proposed algorithm is based on offset and multi-resolution mesh. Offset guarantees that the rough cutting models always involve the input model, while multi-resolution mesh allows the simplification of a complex model into coarser approximations. This proposed algorithm could generate 3D rough cutting models with different resolutions from the input model. These models have simple geometric complexities and incremental volume changes. The experimental results indicate that the generated rough cutting models are suitable for rough cutting process in sculptured surface machining.
