In this study, we report on the impact of different cutter tool positions on the surface integrity (residual stresses, micro-hardness, roughness and texture) of low carbon steel. The effects of different tool positions of the ball end cutter tool during 5-axis machining were studied and differences in the slope of the tilt and lead angle compared. The effects of the depth of the cut and coolant on the surface integrity were also studied. The results of the experiments should lead to a better understanding of the effect of the ball end cutter tool position on the surface integrity if low carbon steel during the 5-axis machining process. The study is designed to show the effect of different tool positions only, while the other parameters (e.g., cutting speed, feed rate, cutter tool slope) remain constant. The results show that the tilt angel has a larger impact on the surface integrity (both residual stress and roughness) compared to the lead angle. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
