Experimental research on multi-structural parameter optimization of rhombic tooth endmill based on DOE in CFRP milling

The rhombic tooth endmill, with its complex structure, is a frequently utilized cutting tool when milling carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). It offers the advantages of a small cutting force and good machining surface quality. This paper presents the design of nine distinct carbide diamond-coated rhombic tooth endmill structures with a diameter of 6 mm. An orthogonal experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of these endmills in CFRP side milling. The effects of the number and depth of the left-hand helical grooves, the rake angle of the right-hand grooves, and the clearance angle of the peripheral edge on cutting force and tool wear were subjected to careful analysis in order to identify several optimized design schemes. Subsequently, the aforementioned optimized schemes were validated through a performance comparison experiment. The results demonstrate that, under the conditions of this experiment and on the basis of identical surface quality, the rhombic tooth endmill with a design scheme comprising 12 left-hand helical grooves, a depth of 0.85 mm for the left-hand helical grooves, a rake angle of 6° for the right-hand grooves, and a clearance angle of 14° for the peripheral edge exhibits the greatest durability.