Analysis of Shape Deviation in Milling Processes for Non-rigid 316L Aircraft Brackets

The additive manufacturing necessitates a subsequent milling process, ensuring optimal design utilization and surface quality in lightweight structures. The configuration of this process chain requires a deep understanding of the geometry-dependent workpiece stiffness and their interactions with the milling conditions, particularly when considering non-rigid structural components. This paper investigates the effects of milling process variables on the shape deviation of additively manufactured 316L reference components. Investigations indicated that the mechanical engagement conditions have the most significant impact. To investigate the workpiece-related influence on shape deviations, extreme combinations of process variables were applied to a topology-optimized, deformation-prone aircraft bracket. The analysis of interactions has improved the understanding of interdependencies within the process chain. It was shown that the bracket features exhibited in 11.3% higher diameter deviations, demonstrating the influence of workpiece stiffness on dimensional accuracy.