Optimization of the milling process for aluminum honeycomb structures

The milling of aluminum honeycomb structures represents today an important scientific and technical research topic for many industrial applications: aerospace, aeronautic, automotive, and naval. The difficulties encountered when milling this type of materials are linked to the small thickness of the walls constituting the honeycomb cells and the ductility of the material structure. The milling of cellular composite structures requires specific and rigorous tools. In the present work, a 3D numerical modeling of the milling process of aluminum honeycombs has been developed using Abaqus Explicit software. The effect of milling parameters, such as the spindle speed, the tilt angle, and the depth of cut, has been particularly investigated in terms of cutting forces, surface integrity, and chip morphology. To properly analyze and optimize the cutting process, experimental validation was done through milling tests with different cutting conditions. The comparison between numerical simulations and experimental tests shows that the three-dimensional model correctly reproduces the milling of this type of structure.