Milling Operation and its Optimization – A Literature Review

Establishment of efficient machining parameters has been a problem that has confronted manufacturing industries for nearly a century, and is still the subject of many studies. Optimum machining parameters are of great concern in manufacturing environments, where economy of machining operation plays a key role in competitiveness in the market. Determination of the optimal cutting parameters (cutting conditions) like the number of passes, depth of cut for each pass, speed, and feed is considered as a crucial stage of multi-pass machining as in the case of all chip removal processes and especially in milling operation. The effective optimization of these parameters affects dramatically the cost and production time of machined components as well as the quality of the final products. This paper outlines the development of an optimization strategy to determine the optimum cutting parameters for milling operations like plain milling and face milling. This paper also underlies the importance of using optimization strategies rather than handbook recommendations as well as pointing out the superiority of the multi-pass over the single-pass optimization approach. Owing to the significant role that machining parameters play in performing successful and efficient machining operations, determination of the best or optimum machining parameters is still the subject of many studies. The need to use optimum machining parameters to improve machining efficiency is of greater importance when NC machines with high capital cost are employed. This paper describes the various optimization techniques which determine optimum machining parameters for milling operations. These parameters are intended for use by NC machines; however, they can also be used by conventional machines. The paper discusses both single-tool and multitool milling operations where emphasis has been placed on the latter. Although many efforts have been made to optimize machining parameters, from the review of the published literature it can be concluded that most of the work done is restricted to turning operations, and other machining operations, including milling, have gained little attention. Owing to the significant role that milling operations play in today's manufacturing world, there is a vital need to optimize machining parameters for this operation, particularly when NC machines are employed.