Introduction to RMS Surface Roughness in CNC Machining(lathe tooling Sara)
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- source:WEINBERG CNC Machining
What is RMS Surface Roughness?
RMS surface roughness (Rq) represents the standard deviation of surface heights around an average plane. It is calculated by measuring vertical deviations on the peaks and valleys of a surface profile within a sampling length, squaring the deviations, averaging them, and taking the square root. Rq gives a quantitative numerical value to characterize surface texture - lower Rq values indicate smoother surfaces.
Importance of Controlling RMS Surface Roughness
Controlling RMS surface roughness is crucial in CNC machining for several reasons:
- Improved part performance - Smoother surfaces lead to better part functioning, especially on bearing and contact surfaces. A tighter Rq improves wear resistance, friction and life cycle.
- Better dimensional accuracy - Finer surface finishes allow for more precise part dimensions and geometries.
- Increased corrosion resistance - Smooth surfaces are less prone to corrosion due to lower surface area and fewer crevices for chemicals/fluids to penetrate.
- Reduced friction and wear - Lower Rq leads to reduced friction in moving components, improving efficiency and longevity.
- Improved appearance - Tighter surface roughness gives parts a shinier, polished look when desired. Some applications value aesthetics.
- Allows application of coatings/platings - Many coatings or platings require an adequately smooth substrate surface to bond properly.
Machining Techniques to Control RMS Surface Roughness
There are several machining techniques in CNC to help control and reduce RMS surface roughness:
High Speed Machining
HSM uses higher cutting speeds and optimized toolpath strategies. The faster speeds use smaller cuts and chip loads to get a finer surface finish. HSM also avoids dwells and unnecessary tool lifts.
Reduced Vibration Machining
Vibrations during machining leave visible toolmarks on the workpiece. Using more rigid setups, balanced tools, proper clamping, and vibration damping materials/pads helps damp vibration and improve surface finish.
Finishing Pass and Clean-Up Cuts
Taking light finishing passes and clean-up cuts with reduced depth of cut and optimized feed rate finish smoothes each surface and reduces roughness substantially. Separate finishing toolpaths are often programmed.
High Helix End Mills
End mills with a high helix angle of 45-60 degrees channel chips more smoothly and give less cutting force variation, resulting in a finer finish. Conventional end mills have lower 30 degree helix angles.
Polished or Coated Tooling
Diamond polished and PVD coated tooling further enhances surface finish results. The smoother and harder tool surfaces leave less friction and toolmarks. Polished clearance angles also aid in swarf evacuation.
Tool Deflection Minimization
Deflecting slender tools under cutting forces causes inaccuracies and poor surface quality. Using the shortest/stiffest tools possible, or pre-compensating toolpaths for deflection improves finish.
Running Finish Cuts Climb Milling
Climb milling finishes cuts in the same direction as the tool rotation, cleaning up each pass. Conventional milling pushes up "corn rows" of material that degrade surface finish.
Advanced Toolpath Patterns
Specialized toolpath patterns like dynamic milling adjust feeds/speeds across a contour to maintain constant chip load. This yields uniform cutting forces and surface texture.
Conclusion
Controlling RMS surface roughness is a key manufacturing goal in CNC machining. Using techniques like high speed machining, vibration reduction, climb milling, polished tooling, and advanced toolpath patterns allows CNC programmers to achieve tighter finishes and improve part quality. Specifying the right surface roughness tolerance allows design intent to be met. CNC Milling
